Ars Moriendi
by in-silent-seas
Summary: Lloyd was always normal. Boring. Average. That is, until he starts having weird dreams. Dreams that are changing his life. Not sure if these dreams are good or bad, he finds himself on the Journey of Regeneration with the Chosen. But more importantly, just who is this Kratos? Slight AU. No pairings. ReVamp of Tales of the Forgotten Memories.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:** Hey guys! Here's the promised, not-so-long awaited revamped version of Tales of the Forgotten Memories! If you haven't read that yet, well, I don't recommend it because I wrote it like a long time ago and I like to think my writing has improved some. Anyways, here it is! Enjoy! _

_A QUICK WARNING: Things have been changed since the original story. Please take into account the fact that I wrote the first version approximately 7 years ago, and therefore the plot is a bit more thought out than before. Also, all mistakes are my own. My invisible beta is lazy. WARNING OVER!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia. I am merely borrowing these poor souls for a time. _

* * *

**Lloyd's Age: 15**

A fifteen year-old boy sat at a table, a hand pressed against his forehead in anguish. The dwarf in the room stared at him worriedly, wondering if he would be able to finish his math homework without having an aneurysm. Said boy growled under his breath before turning his face to the heavens and crying out -

"AGH! If two minus three is one, and you times that by six, then why isn't five one of the answers?!"

Exasperated, the dwarf stepped forward and placed the plate he'd been carrying down on the table. He ruffled the boys hair and stood straight, "Because, Lloyd, the answer is negative six, not five." As Lloyd looked at him in confusion, the dwarf grinned ,"Eat, before it gets cold." Satisfied that his charge would not, in fact, cause himself serious brain damage, Dirk stepped back into the kitchen.

"Thanks dad..." Lloyd murmured, realizing just how hungry he actually was.

Silence fell over the house as Dirk cleaned up his mess from dinner, and Lloyd hastily dug into his food.

The teenager, when finished with his meal, took his dishes into the kitchen. Handing the plate and fork to the dwarf, Lloyd heaved a sigh, knowing this would mean he would have to go back to doing his homework. Why did it have to be _math_ of all things?

"Go on, Lloyd. If ya need help ya can call me." The dwarf stated as he dried a plate and put it away.

* * *

Much later that night, Lloyd finally managed the trying task of finishing his math homework. With a triumphant grin, he stood up from the table and slammed a hand down on it, "I'm done dad! I'm gonna go to bed now, okay?" Hearing a call of 'goodnight Lloyd' from the kitchen, the teen smiled and rushed up the stairs, excited to finally do something other than stare at a piece of paper.

He threw himself down on his bed, pulling the covers up to his neck and almost immediately falling asleep.

The thing is, he had a really _weird_ dream.

* * *

 _He was being carried on someone's shoulders. They were broad, so despite the mop of auburn hair on their head, Lloyd could tell it was a man. Reaching down with fingers that were smaller than they should be, he gripped it, as if to test if it was real._

 _"What is it, Lloyd?" The person asked in a deep, soothing voice. Lloyd noted that this man knew his name, and he also felt very familiar to Lloyd._

 _"Uh...nothing." He murmured. His voice was very child-like._

 _Suddenly, the man stopped._

 _"Kratos..." It was a woman's voice. Lloyd looked up to see a woman with long chocolate hair staring at the pair with fear in her eyes. Her green dress was dirty, so they must have been traveling for a while._

 _The man on which Lloyd was sitting, Kratos, nodded his head and reached up to grab Lloyd. The boy whimpered, suddenly afraid as well. As he was handed to his mother, Lloyd saw Kratos smile at him, shushing him quietly before his face turned hard and he turned around._

 _"Kvar. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kratos questioned coldly, a hand on his sword._

 _Kvar grinned. A wicked smile that sent shivers down Lloyd's spine, "Hand over the Angelus Project, and we won't kill you or your son."_

 _Lloyd gasped. Kratos was his father?!_

 _"I'll never give you Anna." Came the swordsman's response, "You'll have to get through me first!" He ripped his sword from its' sheath, running towards the soldiers with a speed that could barely be followed even by the trained eye._

 _"Alright then." Kvar turned towards his men, nodding his head at them. They ran at the family almost instantly, swords unsheathed and grins on their faces._

 _Suddenly all Lloyd could see was red, and bodies. A hand fell over his eyes, and he assumed it was the woman. She shushed him gently, humming under her breath._

 _"It will be alright, Lloyden." She said, her voice gentle, "Daddy will protect us."_

 _But it seemed she was wrong because Lloyd was falling. He hit the ground hard, and was stunned for a moment. He heard a scream and by the time his vision focused enough so he could see, there was a gigantic green monster and his father was crying._

 _"No! Anna!" Kratos screamed, "Damn you to hell!" He moved to run at Kvar, but Anna stood in his path._

 _"_ _ **Kratos...please...kill me...**_ _"_ _Her voice was distorted, like she was speaking through a fan, "_ _ **I fear I may hurt you...or Lloyd. Please, Kratos.**_ _" For a split second, it seemed like she would be able to hold onto herself, but then all hell broke loose. She turned and ran at Lloyd, arm raised and ready to strike._

 _There was a blur of green and white, and the yelp of a wounded animal._

 _Then, a sword was protruding from Anna's chest, and Lloyd thought he could hear sobbing._

 _But then they were falling, and it took Lloyd a second to realize that they were tumbling over the edge of the cliff._

 _"Anna! Lloyd!"_

* * *

Lloyd shot up, sweat drenching himself and the covers. His breath was coming in gasps, and he felt like he had literally just fallen off the cliff himself. He wiped a hand across his brow, trying to get his heart rate to slow down. It took a few moments, but when his breathing was finally normal again, he realized that the dream had not faded like they normally do.

But it had felt like it was something else.

It felt like a memory.

* * *

The next morning, Lloyd got up and dressed himself, pretending like he didn't have a life changing dream. He pulled his boots on with a sigh, trying to push the dream from his mind. He was still distracted by it when he walking down the stairs, so of course it just so happened that he didn't see his foster father standing at the bottom.

They collided with a dull thud, and Lloyd groaned, gripping his head.

"Lloyd, watch where you're going." Dirk chided with a half smile, turning to face whoever he was talking to, "We have a guest."

Lloyd almost lost his composure when he saw the stranger.

"Who is he?" He whispered, eyes uncharacteristically wide.

"I am Kratos Aurion." The man responded, eyes locked on Lloyd's. His voice was so familiar that Lloyd had to go sit down at the table to avoid passing out then and there.

"He's a mercenary looking for work." Dirk finished, eyeing Lloyd worriedly.

The teen put his head down on the table, ignoring the two talking quietly under their breath. Apparently the man wanted some work done on his weapon and as he would be in the area for a while thought now was a good time. Of course it would be right after Lloyd had a very confusing dream about said mercenary. It was just his luck!

Once the man walked out the door, Lloyd shot up from the table and sprinted up the stairs, hoping to catch the man before he completely left the forested area. He threw open the door to his room and hastily pushed the terrace door open. He stepped out onto it, just barely catching the man as he crossed the bridge and disappeared into the foliage.

Heaving a sigh, he went back into his room and headed downstairs to help his dad on the forge. He would do this on the days he didn't have to go to school. Not because he really had to, but it was something to do aside from training with his swords and staring blankly out the window.

The day past by slowly, the atmosphere feeling almost lazy. It was a drastic change from earlier in the day, but Lloyd didn't mind. It took his thoughts away from the dream and the appearance of the mysterious man.

It wasn't long until he was back in bed, praying to Martel or whatever gods were up there that he didn't have another dream like last nights.

Turns out, everything was going to be fine because he woke up the next day feeling refreshed and well rested.

Except for when he realized that he was late for school. Again.

As soon as he pushed the door to the classroom open, the teacher's eyes flew to him, narrowing in anger.

"Lloyd Irving! I swear if you are late to my class one more time, you are going to have so much detention you'll practically live in the school!" Of course she didn't mean it, but still the thought was terrifying.

Not making eye contact, Lloyd murmured, "Sorry." before taking his seat at the back of the classroom.

He heaved a sigh and turned his gaze towards the window, chin resting on one of his hands. It wasn't long before his eyelids were growing heavy, and he was fast asleep.

* * *

 _"Daddy!" A three year-old Lloyd squealed as he ran up to his "gigantic" father, "Pick me up!" His father sighed, but smiled none the less._

 _"Okay, Lloyd." The father knelt to pick up the boy when he heard a scream from behind him. His head snapping up, he saw her surrounded by a pack of wolves, "Stay here, Lloyd." He murmured to the child before rushing over to his wife, sword drawn. The wolves noticed his prescence, and turned to attack him instead._

 _"Kratos!" His wife shouted in fear._

 _Fending off one of the beasts, he glanced at his wife, flashing her a smile, "It's alright. Protect Lloyd." By now he was surrounded. Cursing under his breath, he swung his blade up into the air and slammed it down onto the earth, sending rocks and a wave of energy flying towards the animals._

 _As he did so, he heard Lloyd shout something, but didn't have time to see what was going on as another wolf charged him._

 _"Get away fwom mommy!" The three year-old shouted, glaring. He picked up a nearby stick and threw it as hard as he could towards the wolf that stood in front of them. It slammed into it's eye, causing the beast to yelp and dash off into the woods, "Take that, Mr. Bad Wolfy!"_

 _"Good job, Lloyden." His mother said with a smile, pulling her son to her chest. She sighed in relief as the child snuggled into her and nearly fell asleep. But then she noticed that the battle was over and stood, waking him once more._

 _He glanced up and saw his father._

 _"Are we weaving?" Lloyd questioned, big brown eyes meeting Kratos' wine red gaze._

 _"Yes, we are." The man sighed, but then looked at Lloyd again, "One more thing."_

 _Lloyd frowned, slightly worried something bad had happened._

 _"Don't you ever do that again, young man. You scared your mother half to death." Kratos scolded. But he made sure not to be too harsh, Lloyd was a child after all._

 _Lloyd nodded, and snuggled into his mother again, eyes closed and falling into a peaceful sleep._

* * *

"Lloyd!" A shout pulled him from his dreams. Something was flying at his head, and Lloyd barely had time to move so the chalkboard eraser didn't slam into his face.

"What the hell?!" He shouted, eyes wide. The teacher, Raine, glared at him, and was walking towards him just as something exploded outside the building.

The entire class gasped, staring out the window as flames roared and people screamed. Raine ran back to the front of the class, grabbing the staff that she usually kept in the corner. She moved towards the door, but, as if she realized they might try to do something, turned to her class at the last second and growled, "Everyone, stay here. I will go check what's going on." With that, she disappeared into the hallway.

Lloyd stood immediately, checking that his swords were still strapped to his belt. His dad only let him use wooden ones, but still, he could do something, couldn't he? Decision made, he ran to the door, only to be stopped when his best friend, Genis, ran up to him, worry all over his face.

"Lloyd! You heard what she said! We can't go anywhere!"

Lloyd nodded, "I know that. But aren't you worried to? We have to do something!" Not waiting for an answer, he dashed out the door and into the chaos.

Once outside, he saw the whole of what was going on. Bandits - most likely a large group of them - had invaded the village. Everything was on fire, and bodies littered the streets. Those who were still fighting were not going to last long. Then, there was a flash of purple, and Lloyd realized that Kratos was here. The man disappeared into the fray, and without much thought, Lloyd chased after him.

"Hey!" Lloyd yelled as he caught up to him.

The mercenary turned to him, and suddenly ran straight towards him.

Before Lloyd could get a word out, the man was shouting, "Move!" Lloyd dove out of the way without a second thought, really not wanting to get cut in half at this point in time.

It was then that he realized there had been a bandit behind him, sword drawn, ready to cut him down.

"Oh...thanks..." Lloyd murmured, staring up at Kratos.

"You should avoid letting your guard down, unless you actually want to die." Kratos stated, extending a hand down to Lloyd.

Taking the man's hand, Lloyd questioned, "What are you doing here?"

Kratos shrugged, "I was in the area and saw the fires." The mercenary's gaze focused on him for a moment, before something akin to realization shined in his eyes, "You live with the dwarf I was talking to before, don't you? Lloyd, was it?"

Before Lloyd could respond, there was a scream.

"It would seem we have no time to talk. Let's go." Kratos took off in the direction of the scream, Lloyd following closely behind.

When Lloyd found Kratos again he was standing, watching the scene play out in front of them. Three bandits had a family trapped with a burning building at their backs. For a moment Lloyd was thrown back to the dream he had not long ago. The family was his, and the bandits were Desians.

He was pulled from his reverie by Kratos shaking his shoulders.

"Lloyd, we must focus." The mercenary glanced back at the group, before turning his gaze to Lloyd, "I will take out the one holding the sword," One of the bandits had it's sword pointed at the mother's throat, "If you can distract the others I will get the family to safety." With their plan made, they took off towards the bandits.

Lloyd tapped the first on the shoulder. As he turned around in confusion, the teen slammed the hilt of his sword into his forehead, effectively knocking him out. The other one, however, wasn't so easy. As Lloyd turned to face him, he felt a stabbing pain in his abodmen. With a grunt, he fell to his knees.

He heard Kratos yell his name as everything faded to black.

 **TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN:_** _Hello again all ye readers. Here's chapter two. Sorry it took a bit to get it out, but I might have forgotten. Well, I did forget. Well, it was already written - sorry. Rambling. Anyways, enjoy! (again all errors are my own. my invisible beta needs to get off her butt and do some work!)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia. Rather, I am just torturing these poor characters._

* * *

 _Three year-old Lloyd sat quietly at the campfire, hands resting on his knees as he kicked his feet lightly. He and Anna were waiting for Kratos to get back from scouting around the area to make sure no enemies were around._

 _"Mommy?" Lloyd whispered, turning his head towards his mother._

 _She smiled at him, tending the fire absentmindedly, "Yes, sweetheart?"_

 _"Where's daddy?"_

 _"He's just out scouting, honey." She murmured, reaching over to rub gentle circles on his back, "He'll be back soon." Just as she said that, a rustle sounded from the trees, catching their attention._

 _"Daddy!" Lloyd squealed, running towards Kratos with open arms. The man smiled and lifted him into the air, "Welcome back!"_

* * *

Lloyd woke with a start, his back aching from the stiff mattress that they'd thrown him on. He glanced around, noting that he was in a cell, and there were voices quickly approaching. Quietly, he laid back down, feigning sleep and hoping that they wouldn't bother him. Whoever they were.

"Hey, kid." It was one of the bandits from earlier. Lloyd recognized the voice as the one who he'd nearly taken out, "We know you're awake. Get up."

Frustrated that his plan hadn't worked, Lloyd sat up and groaned, only just now realizing that there were bandages heavily wrapped around his waist. The men stood outside the cell sneering at him. The one who he'd hit on the head with his sword hilt was twirling the keys around his finger, like he knew Lloyd wouldn't be able to get out of this and was taunting him.

"Our leader wants to speak with you." The one with the keys said as he unlocked the cell and roughly grabbed Lloyd by the shoulder.

The other one pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and clipped them shut around Lloyd's wrists.

"C'mon, let's go."

And thus Lloyd was led away.

As they walked the halls, Lloyd couldn't help but wonder what these men wanted with him. It wasn't like he had anything to offer. No information, no money, nothing. Shifting himself as his wound pulled, he questioned, "What does your boss want with me anyways?" As the words left his mouth, the key-guard reached up and punched him roughly in the cheek.

"Hey, watch it! I already got punished once for cutting him up the way I did. Do you want to get in trouble to?" The other guard warned as they approached what looked like their boss' door.

The other said nothing, but reached up and knocked on the door.

"What?" A voice called from inside.

"We've brought the boy." The bandits responded in unison.

The words the man said were unintelligible to Lloyd (he feared he'd reopened the wound), but soon the bandits were leading him inside. As the entered what appeared to be an office, Lloyd saw the man who'd apparently kidnapped him. And well, he really wasn't impressed. The stranger had long blue hair that was tied in a neat pony-tail. He didn't look like much.

"Lloyd Irving, we meet at last." The man said, moving to stand up from behind his desk.

"Yeah, and who the hell are you?" He responded, feeling a bit dizzy.

The blunette seemed to notice this, and motioned for the bandits to set him down in a nearby chair, "I'll have someone tend to that wound in a bit." He cast an angry glare to the one without the keys before turning his gaze back to Lloyd, "My name is Yuan. I'm the leader of the Renegades, who attacked your village earlier."

Nodding, Lloyd narrowed his eyes, "Okay, but _why_? I'm just some nobody who doesn't even live in the village in the first place." He wanted to keep the man talking so he could hopefully undo his handcuffs, but by the amount of blood he appeared to be losing, he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Well, I can't exactly tell you my entire plan, can I?" The man said with a wave of his hand, "Let's just say you're more important than you know. Now can someone please get the doctor in here because I really think he's about to -"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Lloyd was on the ground, unconscious.

Heaving a sigh, Yuan looked at his men, glaring, "You're responsible for this, you know. You have scouting duty for a month." Said Renegade groaned, but was silently pleased that he got of easy this time around.

* * *

Lloyd was back on that uncomfortable bed, but he didn't want to open his eyes just yet. For some reason he was extremely tired. Probably from the blood loss. It was then, however, that he heard the voice of Kratos calling out to him. Figuring that it was just another weird dream, he blearily opened his eyes to find the mercenary staring down at him. Colette, Genis and Raine stood behind him, eyeing him with worried looks.

"Wake up." Kratos murmured, shaking the boy lightly. Noting that he was waking, he moved back and crossed his arms. He would have a talk with Yuan later about this, "We came to get you." He stated, "I've also healed your wounds enough to stop the bleeding, but it became infected, so we will have to get you back to Iselia before we can fully treat you."

With that, Kratos helped Lloyd to stand and the slowly made their way out of the cell.

"Let me know if it starts bleeding again, Lloyd." Raine commented as they made their way out of the base.

* * *

It took them nearly two days, but they finally reached Iselia. When they did, Lloyd was surprised to see a crowd waiting for them. It was everyone who he and Kratos had saved in the attack. The family stood at the front, the small child giggling and waving at Lloyd with a look of pure joy on his face. Dirk stood at the front, looking extremely relieved.

"Hey, dad!" Lloyd shouted, waving with his free arm. The other was currently wrapped around Kratos' shoulders for support. He thought he heard Raine say something about reopening his wound, but he ignored her in favor of letting go of Kratos and limping his way over to Dirk.

"My boy. It's good to see that you're okay." Dirk said, smiling and throwing an arm around Lloyd.

Raine chose to step in at this point, gesturing towards Lloyd's bandaged abdomen, "Well aside from the infected gash in his side, he's alright."

"I always said that the best medicine is good food." Dirk said with a grin, "So how about we all go back to my house and I'll make us a feast."

Kratos shook his head, gripping his sword hilt and turning away, "I must politely decline." He glanced back, looking directly at Lloyd, "If fate so chooses it, we shall meet again." With that, he left the village, fading away into the oncoming night.

Lloyd got the feeling they would meet again, though.

With a grin, he turned towards his friends, "So who wants the Dwarven Special?!" When they all grimaced at him in response, he tilted his head to the side, confused, "What, you don't want any?"

Coughing, Genis averted his eyes from Lloyd's questioning gaze, "Not really."

"Alright then, you cook us dinner."

That decided, they all set off towards Dirk's house.

It was much later that evening, after everyone had eaten their fill and were now sitting around talking, that Lloyd chose to head up to his room and get some much needed rest.

He sat on his bed, eyes downcast. It was hard to get comfortable with the thick bandage that covered his stomach, but now that they were home Raine had finally been able to apply the disinfectant. He heaved a sigh, suddenly missing his mother. He'd remembered what happened to his family, to his mom. If only things had been different; they would have made the perfect family.

He heard the door shut downstairs and stood to walk out onto the terrace. Lloyd stepped out just in time to see Genis and the other's turning towards his balcony. With a grin, he waved towards them. Even if he didn't have the family he dreamed of, he at least still had one, and for that he was greatful.

"Bye, Lloyd!" Genis and Colette shouted in unison, waving back. With that, they followed Raine across the bridge and into the forest.

Lloyd paused for a moment, glancing up at the stars and remembering how he used to ride on Kratos' back and the mercenary would point out which was which, telling Lloyd the backstory of each and everyone. He still remembered the names, the stories. It was his most cherished memory.

With a sigh, he turned and went back into his room, shutting the terrace door behind him.

He fell onto his bed, letting out a breath and trying to get comfortable.

He was out before he could even count to ten.

* * *

 _Lloyd opened his eyes and found himself looking at the sky._

 _He was riding on Kratos' shoulders, he was sure of it. But something felt off._

 _Suddenly he was being handed to Anna._

 _Suddenly he was tumbling over the edge of the cliff again. Something was different. Anna was falling with him but she was still human. Half of her face was decomposed, falling off and flying away as the velocity of the fall sent it flying upwards. She met his eyes, and a scream escaped her throat. It sounded like the shriek of a banshee._

 _"You could have saved me!" She screamed. It sounded like she was tearing her throat apart with the force of her words, "You let me die!"_

 _Lloyd closed his eyes, trying to block out the image, but suddenly he was in a lake, and drowning._

 _Brown eyes flew open, their owner trying desperately to swim upward, but to no avail._

 _Kratos' voice filtered into his ears, "You let this happen."_

 _Lloyd screamed, but he was already at the bottom, stuck there forever._

* * *

Lloyd woke up mid-scream, eyes wide and sweating profusely. He heard Dirk sprinting up the stairs, but quickly called out to him and told him he was alright. The dwarf sounded like he didn't believe him, but he didn't push it. As the footsteps retreated, Lloyd put a hand on his chest, still breathing heavily. Like he'd been drowning.

"What the hell was that...?"

 **TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN:** Hello again! I totally didn't forget about this story. At all. Never! Okay well I might have and some things might have happened, but I won't bore you with the details. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Hope y'all enjoy. And again all mistakes are my own. Apologies in advance._

 _ **Disclaimer:** Still don't own this shit. Unfortunately. I'd be rich if I did. _

* * *

**Two Years Later...**

There was a noise, and before Lloyd could fully rise to consciousness, something very cold was splashed down onto his face. He sat up with a scream, wiping a hand across his eyes and glaring at the intruder, "What the hell?!" He gasped as his mind finally caught up with the rest of his body.

Dirk dropped the bucket and placed his hands on his hips, "You're late for school, and I couldn't get you up. You'd best get going." His task done, the dwarf exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

As he rushed to get dressed, his mind traveled back to the nightmare he'd had two years ago. He couldn't even believe that all that stuff took place two years ago already. It felt like it just happened yesterday. He shook his head, trying to clear the images of the blue haired man away and forced himself not to look at the scar on his abdomen as he pulled his shirt on.

Once he was dressed, he ran downstairs, grabbed his school bag, and was out the door.

* * *

"Late again, Lloyd." Raine commented as Lloyd burst into the classroom.

Raising his bag just in time to deflect a barrage of chalkboard erasers, Lloyd rushed to his desk in the back of the room, shouting, "I'm sorry, Raine!" as he ran.

She ignored him, in favor of turning back towards the board and continuing her lesson.

As he set his bag down against the leg of his chair, and sat down, Lloyd couldn't help but let his thoughts drift back to what had happened two years ago. It wasn't like he didn't pay attention in class - he actually did pretty decently - but more often than not he was overtaken by memories. Memories of his family, and of the bandits, and of that _nightmare._

He was shaken from his reverie by Raine calling his name.

Assuming he'd asked her a question, he looked towards the front of the room and grinned sheepishly, "Well..."

"Nevermind. Genis, will you answer the question?" As the younger half-elf gave his response, the teacher narrowed her eyes at Lloyd. He had so much potential, if he could just focus for once. As she raised the book in her hands and began to speak once more, a bright light shown through the windows of the classroom, blinding it's inhabitants.

"What the..." Lloyd murmured as he rubbed at his eyes.

"That was the oracle." Raine stated, setting the book down on the desk and reaching for her staff, "I will go to the temple and check everything out." She moved towards the door, turning back to the class at the last second, "Stay here. If I see one person outside of this room you'll have detention." That said, she exited the room.

Lloyd stood slowly, watching to see if anyone was looking at him. When his movements went unnoticed, he grinned and slowly walked towards the door.

"Lloyd! Raine said to stay here!" Genis called from across the room.

Heaving a sigh, the brunette turned towards his friend, "But Genis, it's the oracle! Aren't you even a little curious?"

"No. Sit down." The mage said, arms crossed.

Lloyd sighed, and was just about to make his way back to his desk when he heard a groan from behind him. He whipped around, and could hear Genis beginning to protest but the half-elf quieted when he saw the body that Lloyd had instinctively caught in his arms. It was a priest, who's breaths were coming in gasps.

"What happened?!" Colette questioned as she stood from her desk and ran over.

The priest reached for her, bleeding heavily from his chest, "Desians...attacked the temple."

Lloyd watched as the light left the priests eyes, and couldn't help but muttering, "Those bastards." to himself as he set the body down.

"Come on guys." The twin swordsman stood, a frown on his face, "We've got to get to the temple."

That said, they ran out of the room and into the fray.

As they arrived and began to climb the stairs, they could hear the sounds of fighting coming from above. Screams echoed, and that only pushed Lloyd to run faster, nearly sprinting up the steps now as the others struggled to keep up.

When Lloyd reached the top, he saw a man with brown hair and a goatee pointing a sword at Phaidra, Colette's grandmother.

"Hand over the Chosen, now!" The stranger growled.

The old woman shook her head, determination etched into her face, "Never."

"Grandmother!" Colette shouted as she caught up with Lloyd.

Phaidra's eyes met her, and her calm composure shattered, "Run, Colette!"

"I see, so this is the Chosen." The stranger murmured, turning to face them.

Lloyd stepped in front of Colette, swords drawn, "You'll never get Colette!"

Glaring, the man gestured to his companions, who Lloyd now realized were probably just his lackeys, "If you insist upon getting in the way, so be it. Kill them, but leave the Chosen alive!"

And so the fight began. Lloyd ran at the first soldier he saw and immediately thrust out with one sword, throwing a burst of energy behind the attack. The sword miraculously pierced the man through the stomach. Blood splattered onto Lloyd's face and clothes, but he paid no attention to it. _'There's something different about these Desians...where have I seen them before?'_ He thought as he charged at another man.

Somewhere behind him, he heard Genis shout "Fireball!" but he couldn't tell where it came from. He dropped to the ground, however, just as two balls of fire flew over his head and into the soldier. A chakram whipped past his ear and into the third soldier. A shout of "I'm sorry, Lloyd!" came from somewhere to his right and he grinned, pushing himself to his feet once more.

The remaining men ran off to the side, as what could only be described as a monstrosity stepped out of the shadows. He had a mace in one hand, swinging it over his head. In the other was a sword, but it was huge.

That's when Lloyd realized it. These were Renegades!

In his distraction, Lloyd didn't see the sword coming towards him until the last second. He tried to jump back, but it still caught him across the chest, causing blood to spurt out into the open air. A cry left his throat as he fell onto the ground, clutching at the wound. He heard Genis and Colette yell something, but he was a bit distracted at the moment.

They were losing, Lloyd could tell that much. To his surprise, just when he thought it was all over for them, there was a flash of purple, and a very familiar face was blocking the sword strike that would have killed Genis.

"Kratos?" The name left Lloyd's mouth before he could think about it.

"Don't get in the way." Kratos said harshly, glancing back at Lloyd, before he took the hulk head on.

Ignoring his words, Lloyd pushed himself to his feet. He had to help, to do something. It wasn't in his nature to just sit there. Picking up his weapons, and trying to forget about his injuries, he ran at the man. He came up on Kratos' left, swinging both of his swords in an arc. They slashed across the enemies face, momentarily blinding him.

"You're injured. Get to the sidelines." Kratos ordered as he blocked a swing of the mace.

"Shut up!" Lloyd growled, dashing around the back of the Renegade and kicking him in the back of the knee.

Kratos glared and as Lloyd came back around, he shoved him into the bushes, hoping that that would get him to stay out of the fight.

Lloyd, who lay on the ground now, was left gasping for air. Kratos had, albeit unknowingly, pushed directly onto his wound thus leaving him breathless. His vision clouded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an apple gel, hoping it would be enough to stanch the bleeding.

Not long after, Lloyd heard a loud thump and could only assume the battle had ended.

A figure stepped into his field of view. A green glow surrounded him, and suddenly Lloyd felt like he could breathe again. His vision cleared and he realized that Kratos was kneeling by him, one hand hovering over the wound as he worked on healing it. Colette and Genis stood off to the side, staring at Lloyd worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Kratos questioned as he finished his healing.

"Yeah." Lloyd said, pushing himself to his feet, "Thanks." His vision swam for a moment, but he shook his head and it cleared.

"It's from the blood loss." Kratos stated before turning to face Phaidra, "You are the Chosen's grandmother, I assume?"

As Lloyd focused on pulling himself together enough to be able to explore the temple, he half-listened to the conversation. Kratos was offering to protect Colette for money, and Lloyd vaguely remembered that he was a mercenary. Once the offer was accepted, Colette and Kratos moved to go into the temple.

"Wait!" Lloyd called out, stepping forward, "We're going with you." Kratos looked like he was going to argue, so Lloyd hastily added, "And if you think you can stop us, we'll just follow you in anyways."

The mercenary sighed, but nodded his head. He murmured what sounded like, "This isn't a field trip, you know." under his breath as he entered the temple.

* * *

After a series of traps, trips, and inconveniences they finally made it into the seal room. Lloyd stared in awe as Colette prayed and an angel descended from above. It claimed to be her real father, and explained what the Journey of Regeneration would entail. But Lloyd didn't care about that. He was seeing an angel! A real, live angel!

"Now, do you accept the job of being the Chosen of Regeneration?"

"Yes." Colette responded in a whisper. A bright red light enshrouded her for a moment, blinding all the others in the room. When it faded, she had a blood red crystal attached on her neck. She stayed silent, hands clasped in front of her and trying to look like she wasn't terrified.

"Go to the desert. There you shall find the first seal." With that, the angel disappeared.

Lloyd watched the feathers that the angel left behind as they slow disintigrated. It was beautiful.

"We should get going, Chosen." Kratos said, motioning towards the warp pad.

Colette nodded, and they warped away.

"Where'd they go?" Lloyd turned to Genis, who had a frown on his face.

The half-elf shrugged, "My guess would be Colette's house."

Without another word, Lloyd warped away.

* * *

Lloyd burst through the door, just as Frank was handing Kratos the money.

"Can I go with you guys?" He questioned as their eyes landed on him.

Kratos shook his head, crossing his arms, "No. It's too dangerous for children."

"I agree with Kratos," Raine said, "besides, I don't want you to get hurt. Or Genis for that matter." She added as her brother entered the house.

"But-"

"No, Lloyd." Kratos cut him off, narrowing his eyes in frustration, "Stay here, like a good child."

Glaring at the mercenary, Lloyd avoiding saying what he really felt and instead exited the house, slamming the door behind him. He stormed through the village, ignoring all the stares he was getting. He didn't stop until he reached the southern gate, and when he did he realized that Genis had followed him.

"Lloyd?" The younger whispered, worried.

"What?" Lloyd responded, then immediately apologized for being so harsh. Genis wasn't the reason he was mad.

"Can I come with you through the forest? I have to do something."

Shrugging, Lloyd nodded, "Sure, why not. Let's go."

As it happened, Genis had a friend inside the Human Ranch named Marble. They carefully made their way into the Ranch, Lloyd having insisted upon going in as well. She stood at the back, waiting for them. As the two talked, the twin swordsman examined the area warily. He didn't trust the Desian's after what he'd seen in his dream.

It wasn't until Genis had asked him to make a Key Crest for Marble that he was brought out of his thoughts.

"Fine. I'll have to have Dad make it, though." He murmured the last part. How he was even going to begin to convince Dirk to make a Key Crest was beyond him. But he didn't have time to worry about that as a shout broke him out of his musings.

"I'm sorry, Marble! We gotta go!" Genis yelled before he and Lloyd took off towards the forest.

Lloyd grabbed the half-elf's shoulder, "Wait, Genis. We should see if she's gonna be okay." He eyed a nearby cliff and gestured towards it, "Do you think I could climb that?"

Genis placed a hand on his chin, and after a moment nodded, "Yeah, you should be able to."

With a nod, Lloyd grabbed Genis, swung him up onto his back, and took off full-speed towards the cliff. In three easy hops he was at the highest point. They could see down into the ranch, where Marble was pressed up against a wall, a whip digging harshly into her back. She cried out and Lloyd knew he had to do something.

"We have to save her." He murmured, making his plan.

Genis shook his head, "No! We'll break the treaty!"

Nodding, Lloyd stated, "That's a chance we have to take." He paused, putting the final touches on his plan before turning to Genis, "Here's what we'll do: you send three fireballs at them, and run away as fast as you can. I'll jump down and act as a decoy. They won't even see my face, it'll be okay." He smiled reassuringly.

Before Genis could protest, Lloyd pushed himself off of the cliff and onto the very top of the fence that surrounded the ranch. He heard the fireballs hit their targets just as he reached the gate. The Desians retaliation was immediate, the gate swinging open with a _whoosh_. He saw Genis take off into the bushes, and heard him trip just as the guards got to the outskirts of the ranch.

With a growl, he dropped himself in front of the Desians.

He took off towards the Desians, swords drawn, trying to keep his head down so that they would have a hard time seeing his face. Lloyd took the first one down before he could react, and just as the second one was reaching for his sword, Lloyd swung the hilt of his right blade into his face, breaking his nose and hopefully shattering something important.

The last one wasn't so easy. He had his sword at the ready and managed to get a few swings towards Lloyd before the brunette took him down.

Just as he was about to take off towards the exit, he heard more Desians coming his way, and so he decided to take a short cut. Without thinking, he turned and jumped off the cliff that the ranch sat on, and into the trees below.

 **TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**_AN:_** _Hey guys. Here's round 4. Sorry it took a bit to get together. I'm trying to stay a couple chapters ahead of this so at the very least I always have something to post. Anyways, to those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! To those who don't, Happy Holidays! :D Hope you guys are having a wonderful day. (Again, all mistakes are my own.)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I don't own ToS. I would like to. Maybe as a Christmas present? _

* * *

He hit the ground hard, jarring his feet and sending shocks of pain all the way up his body. But he couldn't fall just yet. He wouldn't let himself. Shaking himself, Lloyd took off into the trees, following the path back up the mountainside and hoping to catch Genis on his way down. He wanted to make sure the half-elf was okay.

"Lloyd!" A hushed voice called from the bushes.

Glancing around, Lloyd made sure the path was clear before he motioned towards Genis to come out, "Are you alright?" He questioned, glancing over the smaller male.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But that was a huge drop! Are you okay?"

Lloyd nodded, still trying to shake off the pain from the drop. It was in the middle of his back now, between his shoulder blades. Still, it wasn't anything he'd never done before. "Yeah, I've done it plenty of times." He waved a hand at the other, straightening himself and glancing down the path, "You should get going back to the village now. I'll head home, and we'll regroup tomorrow, okay?"

After receiving a nod, Lloyd took off down the dirt walkway.

* * *

There was an argument with Dirk about the ranch, and about the Key Crest, but eventually Lloyd managed to convince him to make it. That was the thing though, because it wasn't like he'd never fought with Dirk before. It was the fact that the dull throbbing between his shoulder blades never really went away.

He stood out on his terrace, gently rubbing at the spot and staring up at the stars. Lloyd could still faintly remember some of the names that Kratos had told him way back when. Footsteps sounded, and his gaze flew the bridge that led out towards the forest.

 _'Speak of the devil.'_ He thought to himself as Kratos, Genis, Raine and Colette appeared from the darkness.

"Hey Lloyd! Can I come up and talk to you?" Colette called, waving.

He nodded.

Not long after, the two sat on a nearby bench, staring up at the stars.

"So...we're leaving tomorrow at noon." The blonde spoke up after a moment, "That is, if you want to go with us still."

Lloyd grinned, nodding excitedly, "Really? I mean - yes! I'll be there, I promise."

With a nod from Kratos (who'd spent a suspicious amount of time by Anna's grave), the group disappeared back into the night.

* * *

The next morning, Lloyd woke up at the appropriate time and readied himself for the journey. As he headed down the stairs, there was a frantic pounding on the door. Throwing it open, Lloyd was surprised to see Genis gasping for breath, hand poised to knock again.

"Genis? What - "

Before he could respond, there was a loud boom that resounded throughout the forest.

"That came from the village!" Genis gasped.

Lloyd took off wordlessly down the path that lead away from Dirk's house and into the forest. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, sprinting down beaten dirt walkways that he'd ran so many times before.

They could smell the flames and the charred wood before they could see it. As soon as Lloyd reached the gate, however, he couldn't hold the gasp that left his throat. He'd expected it to be bad, but not _this_ bad. Everything was in shambles. The buildings were barely recognizable balls of flame.

It was when Genis caught up to him that Lloyd noticed the crowd in the square.

"Desians." The word was a whisper in Lloyd's mouth.

Then, the ones in the middle that held the villagers captive called out, "Lloyd Irving! Come forth! You are wanted for not only killing our men, but coming into contact with a host body!"

Not thinking, Lloyd pushed through the crowd, determined to get revenge on these monsters for what they'd done.

"Lloyd, what have you done?!" The mayor called out as Lloyd stepped forward.

A blue haired man spoke up from the group of Desians, a grin on his face, "As your punishment for breaking the treaty, you will die at the hands of the inferior being you were trying to protect!"

And so the fight began. Lloyd was dumbstruck for a moment by the fact that this monster, no, this _human_ was just like his mother. It was most likely Marble, her exsphere having been removed without a Key Crest on it. With a heavy sigh, he drew his swords, realizing that this must be what Kratos was feeling when he was forced to attack his own wife.

Fireballs flew from somewhere behind Lloyd, and he was reminded that they were currently in the middle of a battle. He forced himself to clear his mind and dashed towards the creature, knowing that there was no other option. Dodging a swipe of it's - no her - arm, Lloyd swung upwards with his swords, throwing a burst of energy behind it.

Thankfully, that was enough to throw her backwards, and bring her to her senses.

"Genis...Lloyd..." The distorted voice rang clearly over the sounds of fire crackling, "Thank you."

With that, the monster threw her arms over Forcystus, and promptly exploded.

The exsphere that had been on her fell to the ground, stopping at Genis' feet.

The half-elf reached down and picked it up. Realization dawned on his face, and Lloyd had to turn away so he couldn't see the anguish. But he could still hear it in the younger's sobbing. That was when the blue haired man spoke up from where he crouched on the ground, blood oozing from his various wounds.

"Lloyd Irving. As long as you have that exsphere, we will always come after you." The Desian was dragged away by his comrades, who were working quickly to try and stop him from bleeding out.

The mayor gripped Lloyd's arm, rage coating his face, "You! You caused all of this! Do you know how many people are dead because of you?!"

Standing tall, despite the tears in his eyes, Lloyd nodded, "Yes. I do. And I'm sorry. But I know that that will never be enough, so if you want to exile me go ahead. Just leave Genis alone, please."

"Very well. Lloyd Irving, you are - "

"Wait! " Genis called out, coming to stand by Lloyd, "It's my fault too! I forced Lloyd to go to the ranch!"

Lloyd shook his head, "Genis - "

The mayor cut him off, dropping his hand and moving to stand by his villagers, "I hereby declare that Genis Sage and Lloyd Irving are banished from the village of Iselia!"

* * *

They sat in the darkness; the only light coming from the embers of a fire that had once burned brightly.

"We should try and find Colette and the others." Lloyd murmured, picking up a stick and poking at the embers. Despite them being near the desert, the nighttime air sent a chill down his spine, "It's our only option."

Genis nodded, but said nothing. His blue gaze was fixated on the shiny blue exsphere that now rested on his hand. The Key Crest that had been previously meant for Marble was his now, and he supposed that it was the only thing he had left of the ranch prisoner. After a moment, the half-elf realized that Lloyd was still patiently waiting for a response. With a forced smile, he nodded again, "Yeah, that's probably our best choice."

Plans made, Lloyd put the stick down and crawled over to his bedroll. He was about to pull the covers over his head when a rustle in the bushes caught his attention.

With a finger to his lips to quiet Genis, he reached for his swords.

Just as he drew one, a Renegade slipped out of the foliage. With a cry, Lloyd stood and swung towards him, knocking the man down. He managed to get his other sword out by the time the rest of the Renegades sprung forth. He charged them immediately, swinging them in an arc and hopefully knocking a couple of the men out.

At this point Genis had caught up and was casting some earth magic (he really didn't think a forest fire was what they needed right now).

Lloyd was so caught up in taking the two men in front of him down that by the time the ball of lightning hit his back he almost didn't feel it.

That was, until he hit the ground; the world going dark in an instant.

* * *

When he woke up, his entire body felt like it was on fire. A groan escaped his lips as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Metal bars barred his way out of the cell, and he couldn't help heaving a sigh because really, what did the Renegades want him for so badly that they had to kidnap him _twice_?

A guard passed in front of his cell, and Lloyd quickly stilled, hoping that he didn't notice the swordsman was awake. It was then that he noticed he still had the Sorcerer's Ring on him, although the rest of his equipment was gone. Still, he could most likely take the guard down with this, steal his keys, and make his escape.

Waiting until just the right moment, Lloyd shot a ball of fire at the guard, knocking him down.

He was free!

As he made his way through the base, he was surprised by the severe lack of guards walking around. Just as he was beginning to think this was a trap, a pair of soldiers rounded a corner and shouted something at him. Not thinking, he dashed into the nearest room, not even bothering to look at the sign that was on the door.

"So...we meet again, Lloyd." A very familiar voice sounded.

Lloyd turned around, narrowing his eyes, "I thought I recognized your men."

The blue haired stranger tilted his head, "You're not really as stupid as they make you out to be, are you?"

"Is that supposed to be insulting?" The brunette reached down to rest his hands on the hilts of his swords, just in case the Renegade were to come charging at him.

Just as the tension in the room began to peak, an explosion sounded, and four people ran into the room.

"Lloyd!" Colette yelled, a smile on her face.

Kratos appeared next to him, gripping his arm lightly, "Let's go." As they were making their escape, the auburn haired mercenary turned to shoot one last glare at Yuan before dashing out of the room with the others.

As they escaped out into the desert, Lloyd grinned and said, "I guess we get to go on the Journey with you after all!"

"We really don't have a choice now." Kratos murmured.

When they arrived at the inn in Triet, Lloyd said goodnight to everyone and headed to his room. He was exhausted after the past days events. Banished from his village, captured again by the Renegades, and now going on the Journey of Regeneration. Still, it wasn't all bad. He was going to get to see the world be reborn! With a smile, he laid down on his bed and fell into a much needed sleep.

* * *

 _"Goodnight, Lloyd." A calm voice said._

 _"Goodnight daddy!" replied a much younger voice._

 **TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN:_** _Wow okay. Sorry this one took so long guys. A lot of stuff came up (I started a new job, went out of town, blah blah). But I haven't forgotten this one! I'm a few chapters a head still, so hopefully the next one won't take so long to get out. Thanks to LuminousMoonRay, The Emblem of Ice, Ashton, and Wasabi-sama for your reviews on the last chapter! It's nice to know that people are enjoying it. Anyways I won't keep you here. Enjoy~!_

 _Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own Tales of Symphonia or Namco. Merely borrowing the characters._

* * *

Lloyd woke the next morning, feeling well rested and ready for the day. As he stood up and reached for his jacket, he noted that it was hot (as they were in the desert), so instead of wearing it, he tied the article of clothing around his waist. Deeming himself ready, he headed out of the room and down the stairs, where the others were waiting for him.

"The seal should be just west of here." Raine stated as Lloyd joined them. She looked over at the teen, raising an eyebrow, "Oh Lloyd, nice of you to join us."

"Good morning, Lloyd!" Colette greeted cheerfully.

As he waved at her, he felt that weird pain start up between his shoulder blades again. Wincing, he played it off as having slept weird last night and ignored it. Genis sent him a worried look, but Lloyd simply smiled and looked away.

"So, we should probably get going, yeah? I think it's only gonna get hotter from here." Lloyd said, still trying not to notice the pain in his back.

"I concur." Kratos stated. Having decided, they all headed out of the city.

* * *

As they walked, Lloyd resisted the urge to comment on the hotness of the air. It was making sweat pour down his face, and his hair droop down in front of his eyes. The others weren't doing much better; their morale having dropped to dangerously low heights in the last couple hours.

Just as he was about to say something, he looked up to see what looked like large ruins in the distance. His back twinged as he reached up a hand to point towards them, and he couldn't hold back a wince of pain.

"Lloyd, is something hurting you?" Raine questioned, staring worriedly at said teen.

The brunette shook his head, forcing a smile, "Nah, I'm just pretty sweaty." He gestured towards the ruins, "That's the place, right? We're almost there?"

Raine narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but chose not to comment. Instead, her gaze followed Lloyd's finger, and saw what he had been pointing to, "Oh Martel! It's the Triet Ruins! We've found them!" With an energy that no one really knew she had, Raine took off towards the monument, eyes burning with a passion matched only by a cat chasing a mouse.

When the group caught up with her, all but one were shocked to see her pretty much rubbing her face against the stone, mumbling incoherently under her breath.

"Genis? What's wrong with Raine?" Lloyd whispered to the smaller male.

"You're better off not knowing..." Genis responded, rolling his eyes.

Not much later, Raine finally managed to pull herself away from the stone long enough to explain to Colette how it works. With that, the door was opened, and they descended into the depths.

* * *

Some time later, after copious amounts of traps and battles, they finally arrived at the seal room. Almost immediately Lloyd could feel some sort of energy building up in the room, almost like he was on a cliff and about to fall over the edge. _What's this feeling?_ He thought to himself, absentmindedly rubbing at the spot on his back. The pain seemed to worsen when they entered this room.

"I feel mana welling up from the seal!" Genis shouted in warning, but it came a few seconds too late. Just as the word mana left his mouth, three huge monsters came bursting out of the fire that had erupted from the seal. One was much larger than the others, and it was the first to attack.

"Here they come!" Lloyd yelled as the monster attacked.

As soon as the battle started, the huge one swung it's tail towards Kratos, who managed to sidestep it and retaliate with a swing of his sword. The creature howled in pain, and Lloyd chose that moment to run at it and thrust both of his swords into it. However, as he neared it, the being swung one of it's huge paws at Lloyd, slamming him into the ground a few feet away.

"Lloyd!" His teammates called in worry.

"Chosen, focus on the battle. I will attend to Lloyd!" Kratos shouted across the battlefield. He sprinted across the temple, dodging a swipe from one of the smaller monsters. Sliding to his knees by Lloyd's un-moving form, he gently gripped the twin swordsman by the shoulders and turned him over, "Are you alright?" The mercenary asked, silently looking the smaller over for injuries.

Said brunette nodded, pushing himself to his feet shakily, "Yeah, I'm fine." He eyed the battle, noting that the two smaller creatures had been taken out already. The big one was the only one left. He looked to Kratos, who nodded, both of them knowing that this attack would be the killing blow.

Kratos took off, drawing his sword once more. He would come at the monster from the left, while Lloyd would attack from the right. At the same moment, they paused, readying their blades. Nodding silently to one another, they charged at the monster, swords pointed outwards like they were going to impale it.

Together, they shouted, "Cross thrust!" and the beast was dead.

Lloyd sat down on the stone floor, breathing heavily and trying to clear his head. His back was aching and that pressure was back. He could see Colette praying at the altar, but his mind was elsewhere. Wondering how he could even sense mana in the first place. Still, now wasn't the time for questions. He pushed himself to his feet to join Kratos and Raine.

As he approached them, Remiel came down from the heavens. He said something about the location of the next seal but Lloyd's eyes flew to Colette. Wings! She had wings! As he thought of this, the pain in his back suddenly changed to a burning sensation. He cried out, falling to his knees and desperately reaching to try and do something about the pain.

"Lloyd." Raine stated, turning to face the man who was now very nearly writhing on the ground, "I need to see your back." The swordsman tried to oblige her, but any movement now was causing the pain to flare. Instead, Kratos reached down and helped slide the tank-top off of his shoulders.

There were gasps as the shirt was removed and the skin underneath could be seen. It was almost like someone had taken a brand to Lloyd's back. Except that the skin was raised right between his shoulder blades. Almost like it was a scar of some sort. Raine cautiously reached down to touch one of the raised portions, but as she did, Lloyd let out a yelp.

"That hurts?" She murmured, picking up her staff and casting a quick First Aid.

When it had no effect, she narrowed her eyes and glanced at Lloyd's face. It was twisted in pain, like he was trying not to cry out.

He lay on the ground, having not had the strength to even kneel anymore. The cool stone felt good, but it didn't do anything for the searing pain that was radiating from his spine. It felt like there was a huge pressure on his back that was just building and building and he feared that if something wasn't done it would explode outwards.

"Raine, is he - "

Genis' voice was cut off by the terrifying shriek that left Lloyd's throat.

Just as the pain built up to where he wouldn't be able to stand it anymore, the dam broke, and suddenly Lloyd felt like the pain had never been there in the first place.

He heard Kratos gasp, but then his world went black.

* * *

When he woke next, he found himself lying face down on a bed in the Triet inn. He tried to move himself to where he could actually turn around and sit up, but found that his arms felt like they were asleep. There was also a very weird tingling sensation coming from his back, like somebody was running feathers up and down his spine.

Finally, his limbs started to respond, and he was able to flip over and sit up. It was then that he noticed it was night time, and that his shoulder blades felt unusually heavy. His hearing was weird too. It was almost like he could hear the entire city of Triet, including the vendors who were most likely packing up their shops. _What the hell is going on?_ He thought to himself as he rose from the bed.

He turned around to glance at the window, but his vision was blocked by a wall of what looked like white feathers. Reaching out to touch it, he realized that the feathers were attached to him. But that would mean that he - he had wings! When did he get wings? More importantly, _why_ did he have wings? It wasn't like he was the Chosen or something. He didn't have a crystal on his neck.

With a small smile, he tried to flap the wings, and found that they responded just as though he were going to move, say, his fingers. It was like he knew how to use them, without even having to be taught anything. Was it like this for Colette? It worried him though, because they weren't like Colette's. They were corporeal. If he had to compare them to anything, he would say they were like Remiel's.

Questions tumbling around in his mind, he grabbed his jacket from where it lay on the edge of his bed, and headed out of the room.

Thankfully there was no one in the lobby because he would have a really hard time trying to explain the wings to a stunned innkeeper. He let out a sigh, and headed out of the inn, wanting to try and clear his mind. There was nothing he could do to try and hide the wings, so he just kind of let them flap gently behind him.

As Lloyd exited the building, he saw Noishe in the nearby pen and smiled. He walked over to the animal and pet him on the head, noting that the creature didn't even seem to notice the change in Lloyd. As he turned away from Noishe, he heard the beast let out a whine, but ignored it in favor of deciding to go for a walk. It was far too cramped in the city for him.

"You shouldn't be going anywhere in your state." A familiar voice said from behind him.

Lloyd turned around to see Kratos standing by the pen, hands on his hips much like a worrying mother would pose. The thought of Kratos as a housewife nearly made him bust out laughing, but Lloyd managed to hold it in. Instead he stretched out his arms and grinned, trying to indicate that he was fine.

"I feel great!" He said, still grinning, "Besides, I just wanted to get some air. It's cramped in there." The brunette explained, gesturing towards the inn.

Kratos seemed to consider this for a moment, and - hiding a smile behind a hand on his chin - nodded his head, "Fine. But only for a few minutes." He moved to head back inside, but Lloyd called out to him before he could take a step, "Is there something you needed?" The mercenary questioned, tilting his head.

"I just - " Lloyd stopped himself, wondering why he'd really called out to the man in the first place. It wasn't like Kratos was going to admit to being his father anytime soon. Hell, Lloyd didn't even know if Kratos knew that he was his son. It had been fourteen years since they'd really last come into contact. Still...there was hope, "Did you wanna stay? I mean - uh, you can go if you want to."

Forcing himself to turn away from the mercenary, Lloyd tried to focus on his wings. He wanted to learn how to control them. Maybe...maybe he could even learn to fly! The thought excited him so much that he started flapping the white appendages enthusiastically. The movement created a small gust of wind that flew back and ruffled Kratos' hair, causing the man to smile faintly.

The mercenary leaned against the city walls, trying not to be to reminiscent of times past. He remembered Lloyd as a child, and the strong curiosity that often got him into trouble. The thought brought a frown to his face. Lloyd could never know who Kratos was. It would only make things more complicated in the future. He would hide this secret until the day he died.

A voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"I'm gonna go back inside now. Coming?"

Nodding absentmindedly, Kratos followed the teenager back inside.

* * *

The next morning, Lloyd stood in front of a mirror, trying to figure out the best way to hide his wings. He and Colette had unanimously decided that it was probably best to keep them out of sight for fear of people discovering the true nature of their journey. And so Lloyd was here, trying to tuck them under his usual red jacket.

"I don't think they're going to fit, Lloyd..." Colette said, frowning.

Lloyd nodded, narrowing his eyes, "You're right. But what else can we do?"

It was then that Genis walked in, carrying what looked like a black trench coat in his hands, "Here, Lloyd. Raine found this for you. She thinks it'll be big enough to hid them." The half-elf tossed the article of clothing towards the swordsman, chuckling as the brunette struggled to catch it without tumbling over from the awkward weight of his wings.

"Shut up, Genis." Lloyd said, grinning.

He pulled the black coat over his shoulders, realizing that it did indeed hide his wings quite nicely.

"It looks good!" Colette giggled, clapping her hands together.

Kratos stepped into the room, trying not to smile at their antics, "If you're all ready to go, Raine and I will be waiting downstairs. Hurry up." With that, he walked out of the room.

The trio giggled before following him out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

 **TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN:** Um, hi. Yeah I know it's been like, two months? I promise I didn't forget about this story! I've just been sitting around trying to decide if I want to change the plot more than I originally thought I would. I've made a couple changes already and I just want to make sure that this story turns out to be something that I'm proud of. Thus the break. Sorry, again. Anyways, thanks to Glon Morksi, Fehize, and LuminousMoonRay for their wonderful reviews on the last chapter! You guys are awesome! And once again, all mistakes are my own. Apologies in advance._

 _Also real quick, I do know that it's hunger, sleep, touch, then voice, but it works better for me if sleep goes first._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I still don't own this. Martel, I wish I did. _

* * *

Lloyd winced, trying to avoid complaining out loud about how hot it was. Yes, he knew it was important to avoid letting everyone know he was an angel, and that this was the Chosen's group, but did he have to wear a _black_ coat? It was like the sun was being absorbed into his clothing, and Martel it was _so hot._ He hadn't taken it off since they left Triet, and they were nearing the Ossa Trail now. Nearly four hours of walking was killing him.

"Maybe we should rest for a bit?" Colette called, staring at Lloyd worriedly.

Kratos shook his head, pausing to turn and face the two, "It's not much longer now. We will stop and rest once we reach the bottom of the mountain." That said, he turned and broke into a brisk stride.

Heaving a sigh, Lloyd shook his head and smiled at Colette, "I'm fine. Let's keep going."

And so they walked.

And walked.

And _walked._

Apparently 'not much longer' was Kratos-speak for two hours because by the time the reached the trail, Lloyd was ready to collapse. Not that he would ever let anyone see because he wanted to appear strong to them. Wanted Kratos to know that he wasn't weak. Maybe it was Lloyd being stubborn, or maybe it was just that he knew that Kratos was his dad and wanted to impress him.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when Genis called his name.

"Y - yeah?" Lloyd responded, blinking blearily.

The half-elf grinned, tossing a bedroll towards the teen, "Wake up, Lloyd. Kratos said that we can make camp here for tonight, so we're setting it up. Want to finish laying out the sleeping bags?" Genis questioned as he cast some fire magic on a small pile of sticks that Lloyd hadn't noticed before.

Nodding slowly, Lloyd took the blankets Genis had tossed to him and began to lay them out. He could hear the others moving around the clearing they stopped in, and he briefly wondered how they had entered a forested area without his knowing. Man the heat was really getting to him. And his wings felt cramped, kind of like he'd been holding his arm up for thirty minutes and the muscle was starting to burn.

"You can take the coat off now, if you want." Raine commented, noticing his discomfort, "Kratos has checked and there's no one around."

Lloyd turned to look at her, realizing that everyone was staring at him worriedly. Like he was fragile and going to break. Part of him wanted to get mad at them for thinking that he was so...so weak. But another part sensed that they were truly, genuinely _worried_ about him. And it warmed him to know that people cared. Even though he was different now, they still cared for him.

So before he could second guess the decision, he pulled the coat off of himself and spread his wings, feeling the muscles sigh in relief almost immediately. He pulled them around himself, forming a half shell, so he could look at the feathers. They were brilliantly white, and soft to the touch. After he had inspected them curiously, he let them fall back into place behind him, resting gently against his back.

"They're beautiful, Lloyd." Colette said, smiling gently at him.

Genis frowned, "But why are they different from Colette's? And why do you have them in the first place?" The half-elf asked from where he sat by the fire.

Lloyd's gaze immediately flew to Kratos, who sat next to Noishe on the outskirts of the clearing. The mercenary had said he'd be the watch for that night, but he was looking away from them, staring out into the darkness of the forest. He'd probably heard every word of the conversation, but was pretending like he hadn't. That thought made Lloyd a little mad. Kratos obviously knew what was going on, but he was refusing to talk.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Lloyd sat next to Genis and shook his head, "I dunno. Maybe it's something to do with this?" He murmured, holding the hand that held his exsphere up to the moonlight. The blue stone glimmered in the firelight, but didn't seem to respond to his questioning, "I wish I had an explanation..." He muttered to himself, dropping his hand to his side.

"For now, we can only accept that they're there." Raine spoke up, "I suggest we all try and get some rest. There's a longer trek ahead of us tomorrow."

Lloyd nodded, still frowning, and laid down to try and sleep.

But sleep did not find him that night.

* * *

 _Lloyd opened his eyes to view the night sky above him, spreading his arms out wide and grinning. He could feel the wind blowing through his hair - it felt good. It made him feel like he was free. The smile still on his face, he looked down to see what he was sitting on. It was a man, his shoulders to be exact, "Daddy! This is fun!" He giggled, bringing his hands down to grip Kratos' hair lightly._

 _"It is, Lloyd. But we have to get back to your mother now."_

 _Lloyd sighed, frowning, but nodded, "Okay..."_

* * *

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast and cleaning up the campsite, they began their trek on the Ossa Trail.

They hadn't been on the path long when Lloyd began to feel like something was off. It wasn't a feeling in his gut, per se, but more like something in the air. It felt like something was following them, waiting to strike. He kept his eyes on Kratos, wondering if the man could feel it too, but the mercenary appeared as though everything was fine. So Lloyd brushed it off.

When they began going uphill, Lloyd felt the feeling get worse. He winced, looking around and trying to see what was following them. He thought he caught a flash of purple before it disappeared into the foliage. He narrowed his eyes, turning back to the group with a worried look on his face.

"Guys - "

Another voice cut him off, "Stop!"

As the word rang out, a woman dropped down from a nearby cliff-side. She wore strange purple clothing, but Lloyd knew that this is what he'd been sensing this entire time. Immediately on guard, he placed both his hands on his swords, dropping into a loose stance so he was prepared for an attack. The woman ignored him, however, in favor of staring at Kratos.

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?!" She called, glaring.

Colette took a step, and the woman flinched, a pair of cards flying to her hands, "Ah, that's me." The blonde said, trying to appear non-threatening.

"Then prepare to die!" The would-be assassin yelled, dashing forwards. Lloyd's swords were in his hands in an instant, and he was moving to block the woman when Colette took a step backwards and tripped. She fell on a switch that no one had noticed until then, which opened a trap door beneath the stranger's feet. Colette screamed, crawling towards the door to see if the woman was okay.

"She should be fine." Genis commented, "Assuming her weight to be forty-five kilograms, and this hole to be ten meters deep, and calculating the gravity constant at nine point eight," He paused, as if doing the math in his head. When he was done, he looked back towards the hole in the ground, "The impact shouldn't have been fatal."

Lloyd sheathed his swords and then crossed his arms, "See? She's okay. Now we should get moving because I don't want her crawling back up and attacking us again."

"I agree with Lloyd." Kratos stated.

And so they were off once more.

* * *

The next time they came across the assassin was at the end of the trail. Apparently the trap door was not a trap door at all, but a maintenance passage for the mines. Raine was explaining this just as a large wooden door was kicked down and the woman in purple appeared once more. She had those cards in her hands again, and a large bird monster was floating in the air behind her.

"I won't let you get away this time." She growled, charging towards them.

Lloyd had his swords in his hands in an instant, throwing an arm out to smack the woman in the stomach with the flat side of the blade. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kratos and Colette working on the creature, so he kept his attention focused on the assassin. She swung a card out towards him, and he almost laughed until he felt a force slam into his chest, taking his breath away.

"Pyre seal!" She shouted.

He flew backwards towards a tree, but managed to get his footing before he crashed into it. Growling, he threw his coat away and ran at her, wings flaring. It was too hard to fight without getting tangled in the cloth.

There was a moment of shock where the battle seemed to slow to a halt, but Lloyd didn't stop moving. This was his moment to strike the woman down. He jumped into the air, letting out a yell as he attempted to slam them into her skull. However just as he got close enough she swung one of her cards up and pressed it against his wing, crying out the words she had said before.

The pain was immediate. Lloyd fell to his knees, eyes welling up with tears.

A scream rang out through the clearing, and the woman was gone.

"Lloyd! Are you alright?" Raine called as she and Kratos sprinted over.

He nodded, pulling his wings in close to himself. He shouldn't have taken off the coat in the first place, but he'd need to be able to move freely. The others were working on healing the injury, but he could feel where the feathers had been blown away. Where it literally felt like someone had cut off part of his hand. It was amazing that he wasn't screaming his lungs off right now.

"We've stopped the bleeding, but it'll take time for the feathers to grow back." Kratos commented, "Can you stand?"

Lloyd nodded, pushing himself to his feet.

"We're near Izoold now. Do you you think you can make it that far?" Raine questioned as they slowly made their way out of the forest.

Forcing a smile, Lloyd replied, "Of course. Let's go."

And they were off.

 **TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN:** Guess who's actually updating on time? Not me! Just kidding, I am. For once. Well it's more or less that I probably won't have a chance to in the upcoming few weeks so hopefully this will be enough to tide you guys over until the next one. Unfortunately it's a bit of a filler chapter, but I promise the next one gets more interesting. Anyways, I won't keep you guys any longer. Enjoy~ (insert usual speech here about mistakes and such) _

_**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately - you guessed it - I don't own this. _

* * *

Lloyd heaved a sigh, leaning heavily against a building. They'd been in Izoold for a day and a half now, and still hadn't found a way across the sea to Palmacosta. It didn't help that he had to wear his coat, and his injured wing kept rubbing against the fabric. It hurt like a bitch but he didn't mention it because honestly what could they do?

At the moment, the others were looking around for someone who could give them information on a man named Aifread. A woman named Lyla was looking for him, and apparently she had connections to one of the boat-owners so Raine had come up with the plan to find this Aifread and thus get access to a ship. So far they'd had absolutely no luck in finding this man, or anything about him for that matter.

Lloyd looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw Kratos walking towards him, a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?" The mercenary asked.

Nodding hesitantly, Lloyd pushed away from the wall and took a few steps towards Kratos, "Yeah, I'm fine. Find anything?"

Giving Lloyd a look that said 'I don't believe a word you just said', Kratos began walking in the direction of the inn, "Yes, actually. I came to find you because the others had returned for the night." The swordsman explained, "Aifread has gone back to Luin, and so Lyla has talked a ship-owner in to giving us passage to Palmacosta. However it is late, so we are heading out tomorrow."

Lloyd smiled halfheartedly, "Great. So should we go find the others?"

Without responding, Kratos turned around and took off in the direction of the inn. Lloyd followed along, hands in the pockets of his coat. His wings were beginning to grow sore from being tucked inside his jacket all day, so he was kind of happy to be going to the inn. Hopefully he'd be able to take the coat off, at least for a little bit.

When they arrived, Raine, Genis and Colette stood in the entryway, waiting for them. Kratos nodded and they all headed inside.

* * *

The next morning they stood gathered in the shipyard. They were waiting for Lyla to arrive with her letter, and to show them which gentleman would be taking them across the sea. Lloyd glanced around at the group, noting silently that Raine looked like she was about to be sick. Colette and Genis were murmuring excitedly to one another, looking out towards the surprisingly calm ocean; Kratos just looked bored.

"Okay guys, this is it." Lyla said as she approached them, "And that guy there is Max. He said he'd take you."

Max glared at her, arms crossed, "I'm only doing this so you'll stop bugging me."

After a minute of arguing between the two, Lloyd and the others clambered haphazardly onto the boat. No one commented on the size, lest they get pushed off by it's owner. Instead, they clung to the boat. Particularly Raine, who was huddled in corner and trying to appear as if she weren't scared out of her mind.

Colette stood on the bow, arms out and enjoying the warm air on her face as they moved. Genis and Lloyd stood a few feet behind her, watching the clouds go by above them. There was a moment where Genis kept poking Lloyd in the side, as if he were trying to get him to fall over the edge of the boat and into the water. The brunette glared at him, but was grinning the entire time.

"Cut it out, Genis." Lloyd said with a small chuckle.

Genis grinned, and poked him again, "If you fall over, you can just fly back up."

Shaking his head, Lloyd sat down on the wooden deck, crossing his legs, "Nah, I don't wanna make a scene. Besides with my injured wing I don't think I'll be flying for a little while." He paused for a moment, considering something, "Though I haven't actually tried flying before. I'll have to see if I actually _can_ once I'm done healing."

The half-elf hummed thoughtfully, before speaking, "Judging by your current wingspan, and how much you most likely weigh, I think you definitely could. Maybe Colette could show you how?"

Before Lloyd could respond, Colette shouted, "I can see the city!"

Not much time later, they were docked, and Raine, Genis and Colette had gone on ahead to stock up on items. Kratos and Lloyd stayed behind to get some new weapons for the group, figuring that from here on out the journey would only get harder. Lloyd couldn't help but stare around in wonder at the city around them.

"It's huge." He commented as Kratos looked at the weapons, "I've never been here before."

Kratos nodded, exchanging his old sword for a new one and handing the vendor some gald, "Not many people from your continent can afford the trip over. Most cross the land-bridge north of Iselia and spend time in Asgard or Luin." He sheathed his new weapon and turned to Lloyd, who had just purchased some new gear for himself, "We should go find the others. They're probably wondering what's taking so long."

* * *

Colette crashed to the ground with a yelp, feeling a weird wetness seeping into her jacket. The companion of the woman she'd run into was screaming at the top of his lungs about a potion or something, but she was more focused on trying to pull herself back to her feet. Once she was standing again, she began hastily apologizing and promising to replace what she'd broken.

By the time Kratos and Lloyd rejoined them, Raine and Genis had gone and retrieved said potion. Not that the man seemed to care. He was still scorning them and cursing their names even as his friends pulled him towards the exit of the city. Lloyd glared at the strangers back before turning to face the others and asking, "What was that all about? That guy was a complete ass." He didn't miss Kratos' murmur about his language.

"Colette managed to run into them and break a potion they were holding. We agreed to replace it." Genis explained, taking his new weapon from Kratos.

Raine took her staff, and frowned, "We should get moving."

And with that they took off deeper into the city.

As they crossed the small stream that separated the street, there was a commotion coming from the square. When Lloyd was close enough to see what was going on, he noticed a little boy complaining loudly to an older looking blonde man. A child stood next to the man, looking like she was bored of the situation in front of her. For a moment, her stare caught Lloyd's, and the brunette couldn't help but shiver.

"Governor-General!" The boy shouted, "Dad was taken away to the ranch and hasn't come back yet. You promised!"

Dorr smiled and placed a hand on the boys head, "Hang on just a little longer. I promise to bring everyone who's been taken away back, okay?"

The boy shook his head, "I'm lonely!"

"Don't worry," The little girl took her eyes off of Lloyd and spoke to the boy, "Father is a friend to everyone in the city. My mother was killed by an illness, but your father is definitely still alive. I'm sure he'll come back." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, "My father is going to save everyone." The sentence coming out of her mouth seemed off, and Lloyd shivered again, looking away from them.

"Really?"

Dorr nodded, "Yes. They were all taken prisoner because they fought the Desians, but I promise to rescue them."

With that, Dorr and the girl were gone.

Without speaking they all mutually decided to follow the two into the building. When they entered through the wooden doors, it seemed there was some sort of meeting going on. The girl immediately noticed them, her eyes landing on Lloyd and a wicked grin on her face. It was gone as soon as Dorr noticed that they were there. The guards seemed to tense up, but Dorr waved them off.

"Greetings! We welcome travelers as to follow the teachings of Martel." Dorr said with a smile.

Colette smiled back, but Raine spoke up before she could.

"We're looking for the Book of Regeneration. Have you heard of it?"

Dorr rose an eyebrow, "It is a family treasure, why would you need it?"

"We wish for you to lend it to us." Raine responded, quickly going on edge at the look on the other man's face. She counted the guards in the room as her mind flew through the probabilities of them escaping unscathed, "We do not mean to intrude. Colette here is the Chosen, and we require it to locate the seals on our journey."

There was a pause - a dark haired man in the corner of the room elbowed Dorr gently, murmuring "Governor..." under his breath.

Nodding, Dorr spoke softly, "I know." Then, without warning, guards stepped up behind the group, causing both Kratos and Lloyd to draw their swords, "The Chosen was here just moments ago! How dare you defile the name!" He shouted, throwing a hand outwards as if to motion the guards to attack.

Just as he moved, Colette reached for her chakrams, but in doing so threw her body off balance and she fell to the floor. The impact to the floor caused her wings to form at her back, and everyone in the room to release a quiet gasp. The blonde murmured a quiet ouch as she hit the ground.

"The Chosen of Mana..." The dark haired man whispered to himself as the governor gave the order to stop the guards, "this is without a doubt the real Chosen."

Dorr's face showed the moment he realized his mistake, "So the other Chosen was an impostor!"

"Please forgive our insolence Chosen." The other man whispered, bowing.

Genis glared, "Stupid humans." In retaliation Raine smacked him in the head, shushing him.

"It's, uh - alright." Colette said, blushing furiously.

"It's best we take our leave for now." Kratos suggested, arms crossed. The others agreed and they exited the building. The mercenary sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how someone could be so stupid. Especially when the governor was -

"So, what's next?" Lloyd questioned, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as they walked.

Raine placed a hand on her chin, one arm crossed over her chest, "I think we should just look for the seals on our own. Remiel mentioned that the seal is in the east, so our best bet is to travel to Asgard." The half-elf brushed a strand of hair out of her face absentmindedly, moving her arm to her side.

Having decided on a plan, the group made way for Hakonesia Peak.

* * *

By the time they arrived to Hakonesia Peak it was nearing the late afternoon. Lloyd heaved a sigh, sweating profusely underneath the heavy coat that hid his wings from the world. The others looked as though they weren't fairing well either, so it was deemed that they would rest for a moment and eat something before moving on.

As they climbed the hill, they noticed a small building that sat neatly next to the mountain. With a frown, Lloyd led the group into the building, figuring that if they were going to get a pass this would be the place to go. Inside was a large assortment of items, including the one they had been searching for earlier.

"No touching!" A man that Lloyd hadn't noticed before yelled as the brunette reached out to open the book, "What do you all want?" The man pushed Lloyd away from the book with his cane, narrowing his beady eyes, "If it's a pass, that'll be one million gald." The look on his face said that he knew they didn't have that kind of money on them.

"I noticed you have a rare book there." Raine said, stepping past Lloyd. The man seemed to be entranced by her beauty, "Tell me, where did you get it?"

The man smiled creepily at her, obviously not staring at her face, "The Chosen of Regeneration. Why?"

"We are devote followers of Martel. We wish to study the book." Kratos explained, fingers resting on the hilt of his sword. He didn't like the look in the strangers eyes.

The man placed a hand on his chin, "Hm...for a price."

"What do you want?" Lloyd asked, eyes narrowed.

"An item," The man turned to look at Lloyd, eyeing his coat with suspicion, "The Spiritua Statue."

"I think that's kept at the House of Salvation near here." Colette spoke up, "One of the priests mentioned it."

Having decided to bring the man the statue, they exited the house.

When they got outside there was a large group of people gathered around in a circle, all talking in hushed whispers.

"What's going on?" Lloyd questioned the nearest person he could find.

An older woman turned to face them, "You don't know?" She eyed them warily, noting their weapons, "Well, it's best you stay here for now."

"Why's that?" Kratos questioned with arms crossed.

"A group of Desians was seen heading towards Palmacosta." The lady turned away from them to respond to a question someone else had asked her.

Lloyd glanced at the others, but before he could get another word out, Raine spoke up.

"No, Lloyd. We should steer clear of the Desians."

"But Raine - "

"I think Lloyd's right." Colette stepped in, "How can we save the world if we can't even help the people in front of us?"

With a hand on her forehead, Raine sighed, "If the Chosen wishes it, I guess we can't just ignore what's going on." She narrowed her eyes at the two, and spoke once more, "However if this turns out to be another Iselia, it's on you two." Lloyd immediately glared back and shook his head.

"No! We won't let that happen! We have the Chosen on our side!"

Colette smiled, "R-Right!"

And so it was decided that they would head back to Palmacosta.

 **TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**_AN:_** _Well here we are. Like I said previously I've been sort of busy. Anyways this chapter is mostly filler as well. Don't worry good stuff coming in like two chapters, promise! Anyways enjoy, all mistakes are my own, blah blah blah._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I still don't own this. Working on it though ;) _

* * *

When they arrived, it was to an eerily silent city. The streets were deserted, and it would have almost been comical when a swirl of dust rolled across the streets had it not been for the sounds of yelling coming from the square. Without looking to see if the others were behind him, Lloyd dashed forwards towards the source of the noise.

As he crossed the bridge he saw what looked like the item shop keeper hanging from a noose and a group of Desians standing around the executioners stand. A beefy man with crazy red hair stood in front of the crowd that had gathered, sneering evilly at the terrified citizens. Lloyd couldn't help but think of where Dorr was when the red haired Desian spoke up.

"This is the punishment for denying my men their supplies!"

With a wave of his hand, the floor dropped out from underneath the hanging woman's feet.

"No!" Lloyd shouted, dashing forwards.

Just as he took a step, a chakram flew through the air to slice the rope and drop the shop keeper. With a wave of thanks to Colette, Lloyd unsheathed one of his swords and unleashed a wave of energy towards the lead Desian. He felt the group gather behind him, weapons at the ready.

As they were about to attack, a young girl in a yellow dress appeared out of the crowd, "Mom!"

The woman on the ground weakly called out in response, "Chocolat, get back!"

The Desians turned to attack the girl in yellow, so Lloyd let loose another wave of energy, keeping their attention focused on him. This time, the attacked connected with the red head, causing him to fall to his knees and giving Chocolat enough time to run over to her mother and help her to her feet.

"No! Protect Lord Magnius!" One of the Desians yelled out as they formed a protective circle around their leader.

As fighting broke out between Lloyd and the Desians, the brunette became dimly aware of the fact that Magnius and one of his lackeys had warped away. No matter, they could still rid the world of these monsters. The battle was over fairly quickly, as it was just a distraction so that the other two could escape.

Chocolat and her mother ran over, smiling warmly.

"Thank you so much!" Chocolat spoke.

Her mother bowed slowly, her neck red from where the rope had dug in, "Please, allow me the chance to repay you with some supplies from our shop."

Before any of them could refuse, they were being pushed over the bridge and into the item shop.

It took a while, but soon the group was on their way again, bags full with supplies so kindly given to them by the grateful mother and daughter.

* * *

It was about when they reached the halfway point to Hakonesia Peak that they were stopped once more by someone shouting out, "Chosen!"

Lloyd whirled around, hands on his swords and half expecting some Desian to be at their heels. His glare was met by the terrified eyes of a knight, who's hands were in the air as he tried to placate the brunette. Awkwardly moving one of his hands down so as to not appear as threatening, Lloyd questioned -

"What do you want?"

The knight hastily spoke, "I'm sorry to interrupt your journey, Chosen, but Dorr has requested your assistance!" His stare left Lloyd and moved to Colette, "We've received news that a tour guide was attacked. Her name is Chocolat. She's been taken captive by the Desians." His gaze swept over the group - a strange gleam in his eyes, "Chosen One, please help us!"

Colette turned to the group, eyes wide with fear, "Chocolat's in danger! Please, let's help them!"

And so the Chosen wished it, it was made to be.

* * *

Lloyd was breathing heavily by the time they reached the ranch. The journey there had not been easy for it seemed every monster they came across was hell-bent on stopping them from achieving their goals. But once they reached the forest that held the ranch, the monsters seemed to avoid them, as if even they were afraid of the Desians wrath.

When they got closer, a man ran out from behind a pair of trees. Lloyd almost attacked him until he realized that it was Neil, Dorr's assistant.

"Chosen! Wait" The man called, "I would like you to leave the Palmacosta region." He said as they followed him back to his hiding spot. The group gave him a weird look, but he averted his eyes and murmured, "It's for your safety, Chosen One. Please."

Kratos raised an eyebrow, "So it's a trap."

"You thought so too?" Lloyd questioned, "I thought that knight seemed a little off."

Raine, surprised that Lloyd had noticed, nodded her head, "Yes. It was a mystery why the Desians would leave a city with an army the size of Palmacostas' alone." She took a breath before continuing, "Choosing not to crush the seeds of rebellion means that they were most likely not a threat."

"It is as you say." Neil commented, looking towards the ground in shame, "Dorr was paying the Desians money, though I do not know the reason why. He was working with them to lead you all into a trap." His eyes met with Colette's, worry sparking across them like a lightning bolt, "It would be best for you to move on with your Journey. Leave this to us."

The blonde shook her head, "But what about Chocolat? We can't just leave her!" Colette clasped her hands together, narrowing her gaze with determination, "I want to save Chocolat!"

Kratos heaved a heavy sigh, "If the Chosen wishes it..."

"However, I do believe that Dorr owe's us an explanation as well." Raine cut in, arms crossed, "We should get as much information as possible before blindly charging in."

Colette shook her head, "No! What if something happens to Chocolat while we're interrogating Dorr?"

"I have to agree with Colette." Lloyd stated, "She's in serious danger."

Decision made, they began their infiltration.

It was some time later, as they were stalking through the halls, that Lloyd realized that this was his first time actually inside a ranch. He could hear the screams of the prisoners, some of them children calling for their mothers. He was glad that Neil had followed along in order to free the inhabitants. The brunette was sure how much more of the sound he could take.

A wave of relief washed over Lloyd as they entered the room where the cells were - watching as Neil began to lead the prisoners out of their cells. As he peered around the room, his eyes landed on a child, who was staring at him intently. It would have almost been worrying, but Lloyd noted that this child seemed virtually harmless.

"Aren't you going to escape?" The brunette questioned.

To this, the child smiled, "I saw a guy holdin' this." He held up a small blue card, "He was treatin' it real special, but he dropped it. You can have it."

As Lloyd took the card and watched the child run towards what appeared to be his parents, he could hear the boy whisper something to his mother.

"Mommy! That man's an angel! An angel saved us!"

The woman quietly shushed her boy, patting his head affectionately as they made their escape.

Panic shot through his chest, and Lloyd's gaze swiveled towards his wings, finding that one of the feathers had fallen to the floor. He knelt over and gingerly picked it up, tucking it away into a coat pocket. He would have to be more careful in the future. Thankfully it was only a child that had noticed this time. Pulling his wings closer to his back, Lloyd followed the others out of the room and back into the ranch.

Some time later, after searching the entire building head to toe for three more cards similar to the one the boy had handed Lloyd, the group arrived at a warp pad. It had four slots the same size as the cards. Gently, Lloyd inserted all of them into the holes and watched with awe as the surface activated.

"How fascinating." Raine murmured, eyes shining brightly.

Genis glared at her in annoyance, "Now's not the time, Raine."

And so they warped away, determined to save Chocolat.

* * *

As the rest of the group faded into existence behind him, Lloyd couldn't help but shouting at the Desians who currently held Chocolat by the arms, "You bastards! Let her go!" He unsheathed his swords, and charged them.

"Lloyd! Don't be so reckless!" Kratos yelled as he ran after his son.

Despite Kratos' warning, Lloyd moved through the Desians with the ease of a practiced fighter - quickly dispatching them. The mercenary had to commend the boys skills, but still it wouldn't do for him to go recklessly into the fray. He could get himself seriously injured. Or worse.

As the Desians bled out onto the ground beneath them, Kratos finally reached the brunette.

"Why didn't you wait for us to back you up?" The mercenary questioned, glaring.

Lloyd glared back, "There was no time, and besides why are you so worried? It's not like anything happened." He was furious, almost certain now that Kratos knew the truth. And yet the mercenary had refused to say anything. Refused to even acknowledge Lloyd. Was he ashamed? Embarrassed? Or maybe he was scared of the fact that his son had wings. Maybe he thought Lloyd was a freak. Maybe -

"Thank the Goddess Martel!" Chocolat ran up to them, eyes puffy like she'd been crying, "I'm so relieved you guys are here!"

As soon as she spoke, Lloyd felt his anger leaving him. He was reminded of their purpose for being here. He could always interrogate Kratos later.

"Chocolat, have you seen a room with weird looking machinery?" Raine questioned as the others walked up to the trio.

The brunette nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! There's a room in the back that I saw Magnius go into earlier! It had machines like that, I'm sure of it!"

"Let's go then, guys." Lloyd muttered, pushing past Kratos and leading the way to the next warp pad.

As soon as they entered the room, a chair seemed to float down from the ceiling. Magnius sat in it, smiling smugly.

"Ah, so the murderers arrive at last!"

The group looked confused, and Chocolat, who had followed along without their notice, spoke up, "What do you mean? They saved me!"

Magnius threw his head back, laughing maniacally, "That's what you think, vermin! Remember your dear grandmother, Marble?" The horror was evident on Lloyd and Genis' faces. They knew what he was going to say next, "Lloyd killed her! Slashed her apart with the very swords he carries now! Do you really want to stay with your grandmother's killer, dear Chocolat?"

Genis shook his head, glaring at the ranch leader, "No! You've got it all wrong! Lloyd was - Lloyd was..."

"Stay away from me!" Chocolat screamed as Colette took a step towards her, "You murderer!"

Lloyd felt his resolve leave him, the utter despair falling into his chest like a lead weight. He felt his legs try to give out, entire body going limp. His eyes flashed with the memories of Marble's last moments, remembering what it was like to cut through the thick flesh of the monster. He didn't...it wasn't...

"Lloyd!" Kratos voice sounded from across the room, "Now is not the time to dwell on the past! Focus on what you can do in the here and now!"

Something clicked in Lloyd, and suddenly he was on his feet, swords in hands.

He charged at the nearest Desian, dispatching him quickly. As he examined the field, he noted that Magnius had joined the fray, swinging a giant scythe that looked like it could cut someone in half with one swipe. He was currently attacking Raine, who was barely holding him off with her staff.

With a growl of rage, Lloyd felt something build up inside of him. It was a strange energy that seemed to be filling his every limb with strength. _Is this mana?_ He wondered briefly.

Shaking his head and deciding to just go with it, he let the power run up and down his body until it felt like he was going to explode. Just as it got to the bursting point, Lloyd let out a shout and a wave of energy came crashing down from behind him, coating the battle field in white blade-like feathers.

They tore into Mangius' skin, leaving deep cuts and splattering blood everywhere.

As the Desian fell to the ground, Lloyd felt himself fall to his knees, feeling drained.

The others came running over to him, shouting his name frantically.

Kratos caught the boy right as he was about to fall over, "Are you alright, Lloyd?" The mercenary questioned, worry evident in his voice.

Lloyd couldn't help the small smile, reminiscing on his childhood for a moment before responding, "Yeah. Just a bit...tired."

It wasn't long before he was out like a light.

"Will he be okay?" Raine questioned as they fled the ranch. Lloyd was clutched tightly in Kratos' arms.

"Yes, he will be fine."

* * *

 _"Lloyd, come here." A voice called across the clearing._

 _The child tilted his head, giggling as his mother made a silly face at him, "What is it, daddy?" He ran over to his father, smiling brightly._

 _"It's time for bed, Lloyden." The auburn haired man took the child into his arms, humming softly as the little one slowly began to drift off._

 _"Goodnight, daddy."_

 **TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN:** Alright. No excuses as to why I've been gone so long. Just needed a break. Right back into it though. I promise this is the last filler for a little bit. The next one will have some good plot movement. Either way, those of you who have remained with me this long, enjoy. All mistakes are my own._

 _ **Disclaimer:** Still don't own. Not sure why that would've changed._

 _UPDATE 10/19/16 - fixed a minor plot hole. not a big change no need to reread._

* * *

Lloyd awoke with a start and a cry of, "Dad!" His wings fluttering frantically as to hint at his panic.

Thankfully the others didn't seem to notice, as they were all sleeping peacefully near the remains of a campfire. The brunette took a moment to look around the area he was in, having remembering passing out after the fight. They were in the forest, probably not too far from the ranch judging by the vague smoke he could see billowing in the distance.

"Are you alright, Lloyd?" A voice called from across the clearing.

Lloyd looked up to meet Kratos' gaze, blinking sleepily, "Ah, yeah. Just a weird dream." When would he get the courage to ask Kratos about his heritage? Did the mercenary really know? It was nearly impossible for him not to, considering the amount of time Kratos had spent by Anna's grave before they left.

"It's nearly dawn now. Would you like to help me begin packing things up? Raine wanted to get moving as soon as we could." Kratos murmured, noting how uncomfortable Lloyd looked.

Nodding, Lloyd began to pack up the camp.

"How was your rest?" Kratos questioned conversationally.

The brunette eyed the man, wondering if he knew that Lloyd could no longer sleep, "It was alright." He responded, tying one of their packs onto Noishe. He vaguely wondered why he'd been able to rest last night, but put it off as to that he was exhausted from the fight. It hadn't really felt like he'd been sleeping anyways - more like he'd passed out and was just unconscious.

"Hn." Kratos grunted, standing up and moving towards the fire. He lit it once more, beginning to make breakfast, "Wake the others. We shall eat and then be on our way."

A few hours later, they were making their way back towards Palmacosta.

* * *

It was when they first entered the city that Lloyd felt something was off. Everyone in the city seemed to be acting normal, however there was an unusual discomfort that seemed to settle over the town like an invisible fog. It only served to quicken his steps towards the Governor Generals office.

They arrived to find the place completely deserted.

"I hear voices from below." Lloyd murmured, his angelic hearing picking up a conversation coming from downstairs.

Colette looked at him with disbelief before nodding slowly, "I hear it too."

When they got downstairs, they were met with an expected sight.

"Please, give me more time! There's no where left to squeeze money from!" Dorr pleaded to a Desian who was glaring at him, holding a chest with a large amount of gald in it, "I can get more! Just give me some time!"

Sneering, the Desian closed the box and growled, "I guess this will work - for now." With that, the turned and left the room.

"Daddy? When will mommy be back?" His daughter questioned from his side.

"Soon, Kilia, soon. I promise."

Lloyd crossed his arms, still standing unnoticed by the stairs, "So this is what you've been up to."

"What?" Dorr whirled around to see the intruders, eyes narrowed in pure rage, "When did you get in here?! Neil! Where's Neil?" His eyes flew around the room, searching frantically for his old companion.

"I'm right here, Governor General." Neil stepped out of the shadows, tears in his eyes, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Dorr's face sneered in disgust, turning towards what appeared to be a cage covered by a cloth, "You want to know why? Well, this is why!" He tore the cloth down, tears streaming down his face, "Look what they did to my wife! To Clara!" The thing in the cage let loose a loud cry, slamming one of its arms against the bars.

Lloyd felt anguish was over him. So he and Kratos weren't the only victims of the Desians cruelty? It brought back memories of Marble, of Chocolat, and of his mother. He felt tears well in the corner of his eyes as he remembered what happened that cold night on the cliff-side.

"A monster?" Neil cried, face frozen in shock.

Colette shook her head, "She's crying out in pain. You mustn't call her monster."

"So this is why you've been taking money from the city. Not to fund your rebellion but to feed a lie told to you by the Desians. They probably said that they would fix her if you gave them enough. You were so desperate that you believed them." Raine stated, arms crossed. Dorr glared at her.

"What do you know? My wife was taken from me! You don't know what that's like!" He was hysterical now, tears running down his red cheeks, "The only thing I have left of her is my daughter - "

A laugh echoed through the room, "Who in the world would call an inferior being like you my father?" Kilia stood behind Dorr, and she smiled wickedly right before a giant purple claw went through the man's chest, spraying blood everywhere.

"Kilia, why?" Colette asked, eyes wide in fear.

"Because, _Chosen,_ " She spat the word like it was something rotten, "I am a servant of the Grand Cardinal Pronyma. I was sent here to watch over the city, so I disguised myself as a filthy human." It was then that 'Kilia' began to transform. Her body twitched and spasmed as a purple shell covered her skin. Claws burst forth from her fingers and her hair disappeared in favor of two twisted horns, "And now, you shall die!"

She charged, going directly for Lloyd, who ironically enough wasn't quite paying attention. He barely had enough time to lift his swords to block the attack and by the time that he did she was already gone and moving on to the next. Gritting his teeth he swung his left sword down in an attempt to slow her, but it met air as she disappeared and reappeared behind him.

He cried out as a claw sliced through the coat and onto his lower back. He'd moved his wings out of the way in time to avoid injuring those again, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Lloyd fell to his knees as Pronyma danced away from him, going on to attack Genis and Raine. He groaned in pain, trying to push himself to his feet.

"Stay down, Lloyd." Raine called, pushing not-Kilia away with her staff.

The brunette obliged, falling onto his stomach and wincing in pain. He could see Kratos attacking the beast with new-found vigor, and part of him wondered if it was because Lloyd had been injured? A dry laugh escaped his throat, and he pushed those thoughts away. He blinked, and the next time he opened his eyes the demon was lying on the ground parallel to him.

Before it closed it's eyes, it smiled at Lloyd and mouthed something.

 _Lloyd...you will perish._

Lloyd glared back at it, knowing that it was just trying to scare him. But part of him wanted to scream, to freak out. He pushed that down, instead focusing on the warmth that was spreading over his back as Raine and Kratos healed him. As they were finishing up, Lloyd felt strong enough to get to his feet, and began pushing himself upwards.

"Hold on, Lloyd. Let us help you." Raine stated as Kratos and Genis knelt to help him to his feet.

As he got to his feet, however, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His eyes rolled back and the last thing he heard was Genis saying,

"Uh, Raine? I think he's gonna - "

And the world went black.

* * *

When Lloyd woke next it was to the hushed voices of Kratos and Raine nearby. The others appeared to be sitting quietly in chairs next to his bed. He was lying on his stomach, wings laying gently against his back and bandages wrapped around his midsection. With a groan, he tried to get his hands under him to sit up.

"Guys, I think he's waking up!" Colette said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Two strong hands were suddenly on his shoulders, helping him to get himself to his knees so Raine could better examine his wound. Once he was sitting up, the hands left his back followed by the sound of shuffling clothing as their owner moved away.

"How are you feeling?" Raine asked as she peeled off the wrappings, "It looks like it's mostly healed over now."

"Pretty good, actually." Lloyd replied as he surveyed his surroundings. They were still in Palmacosta by the look of things. He could hear someone downstairs shouting about a creeper looking through the windows.

Raine removed the bandages and cast a quick first aid, "You should leave it uncovered for now, some air will do it good. Just make sure you don't over do it, okay?"

Lloyd nodded as he stood and slid his tank top over his head. As he dressed, Kratos stood by the door, arms crossed and brow furrowed. He was watching Lloyd carefully as if he were waiting for the brunette to fall over at any second. Lloyd slipped his jacket on, pulling his wings close to his back and met the mans eyes. However as soon as they met, Kratos pushed off the door and looked towards Raine.

"Is he well enough to travel?" The mercenary asked.

Raine nodded, "As long as we take our time. And no fighting." She said the last part while staring directly at Lloyd, as if to further get her point across.

As soon as they all got their things together, they were out of the inn and leaving the city.

"So where to next?" Lloyd asked, arms in his coat pockets.

"We are headed to Thoda Geyser." Kratos responded, in his trademark walking stance with one hand rested on the hilt of his sword, "We're going to retrieve the Spiritua Statue."

Lloyd looked puzzled for a moment, before looking towards Kratos, "Why are we going there? I thought that was at the House of Salvation?"

Genis spoke up this time, grinning at Lloyd, "Kratos and Raine went there while you were sleeping. It turns out the priests there dropped it into the geyser so now we have to try and freeze it over and Kratos is gonna dash across to get it." The half-elf tossed his kendama in the air, catching it with ease, "It'll be a cinch."

* * *

When the stopped next it was at Thoda Dock. They entered the small building that stood by the ocean, Lloyd leading the way in. There was a woman standing at a desk and she greeted them with a friendly smile as they walked in.

"Looking to go see the geyser?" The receptionist said, still smiling, "It's 100 gald per round trip."

Raine pushed the money over the counter, thanked the woman, and they were on their way.

However, unlike their original assumptions, what they found when the left was not a boat but -

"Washtubs?" Lloyd asked, raising an eyebrow.

It was then that something weird happened. Genis grabbed Raine's arm so as to pull her into the craft with him. However instead of going easily, Raine let out a scream and pushed away from the smaller half-elf. This led everyone, including Kratos, to stare at her for an amount of time that made her very uncomfortable.

"Er...I was just beginning to say 'Ah! This will be fun!'" She grinned nervously and threw herself into the washtub with a green stripe. She sat huddled in the corner while Genis got into hers as well. Kratos and Colette both rode in the one with the yellow stripe and Lloyd and Noishe got into the one with the red stripe. Soon enough, they were on their way.

Once they arrived at the geyser, Lloyd was the first out of the tubs and onto dry land, followed by Raine and then the others. He ran ahead, excited. He'd never seen a geyser before in his life and this would probably be the only chance he'd ever get. He grabbed the railing and leaned over, watching as the steam rose high into the air.

It was then that something dark caught his attention.

Behind a sign that listed the dangers of getting to close to the edges, there was a dark stone. He immediately let go of the rail and walked over to where the thing was. A realization hit him. It was an oracle stone! This was a seal! Lloyd turned around to alert the others, but soon noticed that they had already began the process of freezing the water and sending Kratos across.

He could see the mercenary's form on the other side of the geyser; he could also see that the ice was ready to crack.

There was no holding back the shout of, "DAD!" that left his throat as the mercenary dashed back across the ice. He wasn't going to make it. Lloyd had to do something. Just as the brunette was about to throw his coat off and fly to the man, Genis cast another quick icicle on the water and managed to freeze it just long enough to let the man escape.

He walked back to the others, having been all the way by the oracle stone.

"Did you say something, Lloyd?" Raine questioned, eyeing him with suspicion.

Lloyd shook his head, "No, but Kratos that was close!"

Both Colette and Kratos gave him looks. Colette because Lloyd was sure she'd heard what he said, and he wasn't quite sure on why Kratos would be giving him a weird look unless the mercenary somehow had strengthened hearing as well. Maybe that was why in some of Lloyd's memories he almost seemed to be flying in the air. He'd just accounted it on the fact that he was so much littler than Kratos back then, but -

"What were you doing over there, Lloyd?" Genis asked, breaking the brunette out of his thoughts.

Lloyd grinned, remembering what he'd discovered, "This place is a seal! There's an oracle stone over there!"

 **TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN:** Look who's updating on time? Well okay I never had a set update schedule - mostly just updated when I got a couple chapters ahead. Either way, here you go nice and early. This one is a bit of a large one - but I'm quite pleased with what's happening. The plot is finally starting to roll forwards (if only just a little bit). Also updated the previous chapter; just fixed a minor plot-hole so no big need to reread unless you're keen on pointing out my flaws. Annnyways, enjoy!_

 _p.s. if you have any questions regarding certain things contained within this chapter I may or may not provide answers, depending on whether or not it's plot related. Some things will be explained later on._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I _ still _don't own this guys. Seriously. Promise. Cross my heart._

* * *

It wasn't until Colette had placed her hand on upon the stone and they were walking into the Temple that Lloyd realized someone was following them. Just as the trail disappeared, he turned his head to see Noishe blocking Sheena from entering in after them. The animal had rode across with Lloyd on the way here. He turned his gaze to Kratos, who was also watching the scene.

"Should we do something about that?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos shook his head, "No, she has no way of getting across now that the bridge is gone. We should hurry in, however. The others might worry."

"You're right..." The brunette murmured, but a feeling of discomfort still sat heavily in his stomach.

Heaving a sigh, Lloyd turned around to face the cavern they'd entered. However, what his eyes found was not a cavern, but a man-made cave carved into the wall. He could tell it was made by humans not only by the limestone statues that covered the area, but also by the beautifully smooth walls.

"C'mon you two!" Genis called from a floor below them, "We found the way out!"

With that, Kratos and Lloyd followed the stairway down and into the next room over.

* * *

It was almost two hours later by the time they reached the warp pad, the group having spent the majority of their time running back and forth to change the function of the Sorcerer's Ring. However, a feeling of nervousness fluttered in Lloyd's stomach as he faded into existence inside the seal room. The floor was completely covered in mist, and the walls just barely visible even with Lloyd's enhanced vision. It was rather eerie looking.

"I can barely make out the altar ahead." Colette murmured, taking a few steps forwards.

Kratos put out a hand to stop her, eyes narrowed, "Be careful, Chosen. We are not alone."

Lloyd whirled around in time just to see the assassin step out of the mist. How had she followed them in?! He growled, unsheathing his swords and moving to attack. But he was stopped by Kratos, who's eyes weren't even on the assassin, but behind her. In the distance, close to the altar, three dark shadows could be seen.

"The seal guardians?" Raine spoke softly, as to not alert the creatures, "But how? We haven't approached the altar yet."

"Trying to attack the Chosen must have angered Martel." Kratos commented.

The assassin had just enough time to dash out of the way when the monsters attacked, charging all of them.

"Maybe not!" Lloyd yelled as he dodged a swipe from one of the mermaid's claws. He slashed outwards with his left sword, slicing into the thick flesh of the beast. It didn't seem perturbed as it continued to swing wildly at Lloyd with unending fury. With a yell, he unleashed a wave of mana towards the being, managing to damage it enough to stop attacking.

Just as he was about to go in for the kill, a flash of purple was in front of him. Lloyd threw up his swords to block the oncoming attack, but was surprised to find that nothing happened. He lowered his swords just in time to see the corpse of the mermaid disappearing in a bloody mist. Had the assassin actually helped them?

With the help of their enemy, it wasn't much longer before the fight was over.

As the last monster disappeared, Lloyd turned to the woman, "Who are you?! Why are you helping us if you're trying to kill us?"

She was about to respond when a bright light filled the room. The light faded to reveal a woman who appeared to be composed completely of mana. She wore a long blue gown that ran past her feet and onto the floor behind her. Her blue gaze was focused on the assassin - the intensity something even Lloyd thought he'd have a hard time matching.

"Who are you? Why have you come before me?" The being spoke in a soft yet intense voice, "If you desire to form a pact, I cannot. I am one who is bound to Mithos."

Raine raised an eyebrow, "A pact? So you must be a summon spirit."

The being nodded, "I am Undine, the Spirit of Water."

"But there are no pact-makers here." Raine spoke up again, "Unless you have something to say." Her gaze landed on the stranger, eyes narrowed.

The assassin's eyes were wide and fearful, hands clenched in fists at her sides, "I don't know anything about this!" Her gaze narrowed in determination, "I was just hired to kill the Chosen."

Undine shook her head, "No, you are a pact-maker. I am able to tell who has the ability to form the pacts." The blue spirit's head tilted in confusion, "And yet you say you know nothing. Does this mean you do not desire a pact?"

"Wait! You said Mithos." Lloyd called out, "Do you mean Mithos the Hero?"

"I do not know. Only that his name is Mithos." The woman's eyes narrowed, looking back towards the said pact-maker, "Now, you who possess the right of the pact, what is your name?"

The assassins gaze met the floor, looking uncomfortable, "I...I am Sheena." Her eyes suddenly filled with determination as she looked up at the Summon Spirit once more, "However you say you already have a pact? What does that mean?" Sheena tried to ignore the stares from the others behind her. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but maybe if she could get this spirit on her side she could finally kill the Chosen.

Undine nodded, "Yes. I cannot form two pacts at once."

"Couldn't you just..cancel the old one?" Lloyd questioned, still on edge with the assassin so close, but he was intrigued by this whole thing and that generally won out over his own instincts.

Kratos nodded, "Technically, yes. If the old pact maker has broken his vow." The auburn haired man turned to look at Sheena, "If you truly were a Summoner, you could request an annulment of the old pact."

Sheena stared at them with wonder. She had been previously planning to kill them, and yet they were still giving her advice. Albeit they were probably going to fight after this, however...it was kind of touching to have support in this, even if it was unwillingly given, "Alright." She turned to look at Undine, cards in hand, "I am Sheena! I request that thy annulst thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact with me!"

Undine narrowed her eyes, "Very well. But first I must test your worth. Raise your weapons."

And like that, the spirit charged.

Colette let out a yell, raising her chakrams, only to receive a glare from Raine.

"Don't forget she tried to kill us." Raine commented, arms crossed.

The Chosen shook her head, "I know that, but we can't let her fight on her own! Not after she helped us beat those monsters. Please, Professor!"

Raine let out a breath, eyes closed, "I suppose. But don't be surprised if we're forced to fight her afterwards."

Having won her battle of wills, Colette smiled brightly and released her wings, flying towards the spirit. She let loose one of her chakrams, slicing through the flesh of Undine. However at the last moment the being changed its arm to water, so by the time the ring came back to Colette's hand, it was soaking wet.

Lloyd stood back, watching the fight. He wanted to pretend that he hated the assassin - no, Sheena. But something in him couldn't bare to let the group fight on their own. So he lifted his swords and charged into the fray.

It was almost unbelievable how strong the spirit was, but with the six of them working together, the battle was soon over.

Undine knelt on the floor, and would have been panting had she been human. Impressed with their power despite the fact that they had seemed to be enemies before hand, she stood and smiled, "Very well. You have passed. State your vow, pact-maker."

"Right now, at this very moment people are suffering. I vow to save those people." Sheena stated, eyes aflame with determination.

"Understood. I pledge my power to you, Sheena!"

With those words, there was another flash of light, and a gem appeared in Sheena's outstretched hand. The ninja turned to face the group, hoping that they wouldn't expect a fight now. She was tired, and out of breath, and probably couldn't even lift a card to defend herself. But she would have to, if they chose to attack her.

"So it seems you truly are capable," Raine commented, "..fascinating."

Colette clasped her hands together, staring all of them down worriedly, "Um, before we decide what to do next, can I pray? I don't want to fight in front of father."

So as Colette knelt at the altar, Lloyd made it his personal mission to watch the assassin. Although they had all just fought together, and helped each other out, there was still the chance she might try something. However, just as Remiel was going back to whatever hole he crawled out of, the mist around the ninja seemed to thicken. As he realized what was happening, Lloyd dashed forwards, but the woman was already gone.

* * *

"So that was...something." Genis said as they made their way out of the temple.

Lloyd nodded, a hand on his chin, "I wonder why she didn't try to use Undine to kill us? Or how she even got in in the first place?"

However as they exited the dungeon (which as it turns out was easier to leave than to enter) Lloyd noticed that something was wrong with Colette. Her face seemed a little pale and she looked like she was about to -

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the Chosen toppled over, eyes rolling back in her head.

"Colette!" The brunette yelled, running to his friend.

Raine was already at her side, tucking a blanket under the girls head, "It's the disease again." The half-elf gestured for them all to begin setting up camp as she tended to the angel. There was a pause, the only sound being the shuffling of items being laid out. Then Raine spoke again, "I've decided to call this illness the Angel Toxicosis."

"You mean this has happened before?" Lloyd questioned. He hadn't left their side.

"Oh yeah that's right, you were out cold the last time this happened," Genis spoke up from where he sat trying to light the fire, "To answer your question - yes. But you shouldn't worry too much, after a good night's rest Colette's back to her usual self." Around them Genis could see various other travelers setting up small campsites. Many were people who'd crossed the ocean too late to go back now.

"Ah, okay." Lloyd murmured. He heaved a sigh and proceeded to help set up the camp.

During dinner, Lloyd took one or two bites of his food and then set the plate aside, finding he didn't have much of an appetite. It was slightly disconcerting, but he played it off in his mind, trying not to worry about it. Standing, he moved towards his sleeping bag - having finished what he could of his meal. Due to the fact that there were others nearby, he thought it best not to remove his coat as he moved to his sleeping bag to lay down. It meant a whole night of laying there, wide awake, wings tucked awkwardly against his back.

Still - he had a farce to keep up.

Hours later, footsteps sounded near Lloyd's head, causing him to sit up.

"You should be asleep, Lloyd." Kratos commented as he sat down by the younger.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow, "Yeah but you and Colette are still up."

The mercenary resisted the urge to let out a small chuckle at Lloyd's resemblance to Anna at this moment. He could remember a time when the woman was still pregnant and he'd been trying to convince her to get some rest. With a grimace he locked those thoughts away in an iron box and tried to focus more on the present.

"Yes but I am on watch, and the Chosen isn't feeling very well." Kratos stated, "You will not be of much use to us if you do not get your rest."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Lloyd responded, and pushed himself back under the covers, "Goodnight, Kratos."

The mercenary's response was to get up and walk away.

Lloyd's eyes tracked his back as the man sat down once again near the edge of their campsite. With a sigh, the brunette rolled over and closed his eyes, breathing deeply and readying himself for a long sleepless night.

In the distance, Raine watched the two with a dark gleam in her eyes. Genis lay next to her, peacefully unaware of the exchange. There was something between those two that she just couldn't put her finger on. And then there was Lloyd's outburst from earlier that day. She could have sworn she'd heard him yell dad. But that would mean he thought, or knew, that Kratos was somehow his...with a sigh, she decided she would mull over the issue more tomorrow. After all, she still needed rest, unlike three of their party members.

* * *

Lloyd sat himself up just as everyone else was beginning to move around. As he'd predicted he hadn't slept a wink that night. However he still pretended to be groggy, hoping that it would be enough to fool the others into thinking he had. A glance towards Colette told him that she hadn't slept at all either. She wasn't touching the breakfast in front of her either.

He frowned and stood, deciding to confront her about it.

"Good morning, Lloyd!" She greeted cheerily as he approached.

He smiled back, "Hey, Colette." Sitting down by her, he let his face relax, "Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure!" Colette looked slightly confused, but still her cheerful self, "What is it, Lloyd?"

The brunette paused, wondering how he should go about asking her. He didn't want to come right out and say it and scare her away. Especially if he wanted to be able to have someone to confide in. His wings twitched nervously, hoping that the words he chose would be the right ones, "Have you been feeling differently lately?" He questioned, watching her face.

"W-what do you mean?" Colette responded, chuckling nervously - eyes shifting around as if she were uncomfortable, "I feel fine!"

Lloyd silently cursed, and shook his head, "Nah, nevermind. It's not that important." With that he turned and moved to sit closer to the campfire. He couldn't risk pushing it right now lest he actually frighten her and lead her to not talk to him anymore. Either way it was something he could always bring up later.

"You're not touching your food, Lloyd," Raine questioned moments later after having watched the brunette push the food on his plate around. She'd witnessed him doing the same thing the night before, "are you feeling alright?"

Lloyd nodded, "Ah, yeah! Sorry I'm just lost in thought. That Summon Spirit thing was really something wasn't it?"

Raine noted silently how quick to change the subject he was, but didn't comment. She could tell there was something wrong, something that Lloyd wasn't willing to share just yet. Still, she kenw that Lloyd was smart enough not to hide life threatening issues. She'd let him get away with it this time, "Yes. It's very rare to see such sights nowadays. I'm surprised that Sheena knew how to Summon."

Kratos nodded his head, "Yes, I had believed the art was lost long ago."

"Speaking of which, how did you know so much about it, Kratos?" Lloyd questioned, setting his plate down - it appeared as though his appetite had not returned since last night.

"I've read a couple books." The mercenary stated with a shrug.

After receiving a couple of suspicious stares, Kratos stood and tossed the remains of his food into the grass. He tucked his dishes into a sack and turned to face the others - who had followed his lead, "We should get moving. If we want to return to Hakonesia Peak by evening we need to leave now."

Soon they were on their way.

* * *

It was about afternoon by the time they reached the House of Salvation that marked the halfway point to Hakonesia. Lloyd sighed and sat down on one of the stairs, head in his hands. The others were around - Raine stood talking to one of the priests, Colette was somewhere outside petting a dog, Genis was upstairs polishing his kendama, and Kratos was...somewhere.

Blinking, Lloyd removed his face from his palms and looked towards the ceiling. Every time he'd tried to eat anything today his stomach had completely rejected it. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry, it was almost like he _couldn't_ eat at all. It was freaking him out because now he couldn't eat or sleep, two things essential to human life. Is this what it meant to be an angel?

He pushed himself to his feet, deciding to take a walk and hopefully clear his mind a bit.

Lloyd walked aimlessly, lost completely in his thoughts. His mind wandered over the events that had happened within the last couple months. What had happened at the Iselia ranch, the oracle, becoming an angel, finding out his real father's identity - there was so much and he marveled at how far he'd come since he left the village. Running a hand through his hair, he forced himself to focus on his surroundings.

It was then that he realized he was no longer near the House of Salvation. Somehow he'd ended up in a forest of some sort.

Flowers dotted the empty spaces between the trees. Each petal was a different color, some colors that Lloyd had never seen before. There must have been thousands - no, millions of them. They filled the air with a sweet scent that put Lloyd completely at peace, clearing his mind of all of his worries.

As he kept walking, he eventually found himself in a clearing. This time instead of multi-colored flowers, there were only crimson. It reminded him of a large pool of blood, but his mind felt so at ease that not even this seemed unsettling to him. The smell of cinnamon wafted through the air, and Lloyd felt a smile creep onto his face. The brunette sat down, and eventually fell onto his back, staring up at the blue sky...

It felt as though he had blinked, but the next time he opened his eyes, Lloyd realized he was no longer in the clearing. Or even the forest, for that matter. He shot up, quickly scanning the area for any presences. It seemed as though he were alone, but somehow he'd been taken out of the forest and back to the House of Salvation. Or near it, to be more precise.

He sat about one hundred feet away from the building, completely unscathed.

Mind racing with unanswered questions, Lloyd pushed himself to his feet, blinking as a wave of nausea swept over him. It was like he had been drugged, but he was pretty sure he'd been alone in those woods. Still, something or someone had moved him. But why had they bothered to bring him back at all? The only people who followed him were usually after the bounty on his head.

It was then that he felt an itch on the back of his neck. He brought his hand up to scratch at it, and let out a small noise when he felt something hard there. Hesitantly, he rubbed his fingers over the surface. It felt like a gem, or a diamond. Further examination revealed that it sat in a crest, much like an exsphere. But what in Martel's name was it?!

"Lloyd!" A voice in the distance broke him out of his thoughts.

Lloyd looked up to see Kratos and Genis running towards him. Quickly he adjusted the collar of his coat to hide the mysterious gem and moved his hands to his side.

"Where have you been?" Kratos growled, anxiety evident in the way his breathing hitched when he saw that Lloyd was alright.

"Oh, uh.." Lloyd trailed off, trying to think of a plausible excuse, "I went for a walk and lost track of time. Sorry guys."

Genis raised an eyebrow, "You decided to take a walk for what, seven hours?" The half-elf shook his head, "I bet you fell asleep somewhere and just now woke up to come back. Good job, Lloyd."

Thankful that Genis was so gullible, Lloyd let out a chuckle, "You know me too well, Genis."

Kratos coughed, reminding them that he was there, "Well now we have to stay the night here, thanks to your charade, Lloyd. You can be in charge of setting up the sleeping bags."

Lloyd nodded, trying to look hurt.

He'd thought that maybe no one had noticed - but he could feel Kratos' eyes on him the entire way back to the inn.

 **TBC**


End file.
